


House of Cards

by Elsey8



Series: House of Cards [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Has A Palace, Akechi Goro Redemption, Angst, Homoeroticism, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Alternating, Persona 5 Protagonist & Sakura Futaba Are Siblings, Persona 5 Protagonist Has A Palace, Platonic Cuddling, References to Suicide, and, descriptions of Akira's death, i blame akira, lots of trauma, strong tarot parallels, takes place post arrest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:13:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 59,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26972701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elsey8/pseuds/Elsey8
Summary: Tortured by the same event, two wildcards form palaces.Never one without the other, the Phantom Thieves seek Akechi out to help them save their leader, despite the events that brought them all to this point.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: House of Cards [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067591
Comments: 238
Kudos: 484
Collections: Quality Persona Fics





	1. Act 1, Scene 1: Ace of Cups

**Author's Note:**

> Ace of Cups. The little bird sings its song as the new day begins. He is perched within the remains of the past. The crown is a gift of what is to come next.  
> When the cup of the spirit and the mind is filled to overflowing, the material runneth over.

Haru tries to coax her plants to perk up a little, twining bits of them to the wooden stakes she’s put in a number of the pots. She’s hoping they’ll climb on their own towards the sun, stop drooping so much. The weather has been unbearably hot, and it seems like they’re shrinking from the heat. Even though she waters them regularly. 

“We have to,” Makoto says. “Akira is down for the count, okay? That’s a nonstarter. I feel like we have more leads on Akechi, like it’ll be easier too. We could really use him for Akira. I think it’s our best option.”

“I get what you’re saying, it makes sense,” Ryuji sighs. “But still. I mean is it really a good idea? I mean we’re pretty sure he killed...you know. Is he really going to work with us? Do we really think his palace will be any easier than Akira’s?”

Haru drags her hands through the soil, feeling the texture against her fingertips. It’s already drying out. After quiet deliberation, she picks up her watering can and goes around watering them. Just a little, it may rain in the next few days. And the world desperately needs rain in this awful heat wave. 

“What choice do we have?” Ann murmurs. “Sit back? Watch it all play out and not do anything? Is that who we are now?”

“Just because Akira isn’t with us doesn’t make us useless!” Makoto shouts, then groans. “Come on guys, we’re more than our leader. He saw us all for a reason, we’re all Phantom Thieves. We have our own power, separate from him. I’m telling you, this is our best bet.”

Haru sniffs, then sneezes. The water in her watering can spills slightly over, splashing over her hands and spilling onto her legs and feet. The water soaks into her tights, and she feels it seep into her shoes and socks. 

“Bless you.” 

Her hands tremble for a moment, and she clutches the handle of the watering can. It’s just water. She takes a deep breath. 

And she chucks the watering can at the ground as hard as she can. It makes a loud crash as it hits the ground, and Haru watches it roll over, the side of it dented considerably. Deep in her chest she feels satisfaction at the destruction she’s caused, although her immediate response is still to crouch down and pick up the watering can. 

“Haru?” Ann’s hand is on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Okay,” she says. “Alright.”

She swallows, straightens, steps back and smoothes her clothes down. She shakes the water off her shoes and hands, stepping further away from the growing puddle of water. She can’t salvage her tights or her socks, but it’s fine. It’s nothing she can’t change out of. Nothing she can’t easily fix. She doesn’t have to freak out. 

“Yes.” She turns to Ann. “I’m alright. I know why we have to do what we have to do, but I don’t like it. I don’t want to save a murderer.”

“We still don’t know anything about him,” Makoto reminds her.

“I know. And I can only assume when we do, I’ll feel bad. I’ll forgive him for some reason we have yet to uncover.” Haru feels bitter, but she swallows it down. “I don’t want to give him a second chance when my father didn’t get one. But I get it. We have to. So I will. I’m in.”

“Haru...”

She takes out her phone, the stupid app that she thought would be her one way ticket to saving her father. She didn’t realize things would get so complicated back then, when all she wanted was to have her home back. She just wanted her father’s hand to loosen a little, not let go entirely.

Now she’s left alone, managing an entire company by herself with no real guidance she feels she can rely entirely on. Besides that there’s this.

She doesn’t want everyone to see her like this, she doesn’t want their comfort or their pity. She wants to get this over with. 

“Akechi Goro,” she says, steeling her voice. 

Of course it’s a hit. She knew that before she even spoke it aloud. It’s no surprise, not after everything he did.

It’s quiet for a moment. 

Haru examines all the things she thought she knew about Akechi. He’s a Detective, extremely sharp and quick witted, very strong in battle, over dramatic. He was always putting on an act for them, the comments he made to them all were all just to guide them towards an unseemly fate. He was able to keep his act up easily, without fail. Never would they have caught wind of his true intentions if not for one tiny mistake he made in the very beginning. Something he didn’t even have control over. Akechi manipulated all of them with a smile. 

He tried to kill Akira. 

Haru takes a deep breath.

“I don’t know,” she says. “Police station, jail, movie, stage—“

Haru finds all the air in her lungs knocked out at once, a little floored she’s gotten it. It always feels like Akira finds these things out, she’s usually stumped on them. A stage. He really thinks this is all some show that he’s acting in. 

She looks up. 

“Good job,” Makoto murmurs, though her mind seems elsewhere. “Where though?” 

Haru wants to make some joke about doing all the work, but can’t find the energy. She sets her phone down and watches numbly as everyone starts guessing. She tunes entirely out of the conversation, sitting and starting to pick at her wet tights. They’ll certainly tear, she doesn’t think she can salvage this particular pair. 

The route begins before Haru bothers tuning back in. Before she even knows what’s happening properly, she’s in her Metaverse clothes. At least her clothes aren’t wet anymore. 

“Already a threat,” Makoto comments. “I suppose it makes sense, he must be aware in some capacity we’re here. We should be careful.”

Haru slings her axe over her shoulder and looks around critically. Everything is black and red here, and there’s a crowd that stretches for miles. The stage lies far far ahead, but still. She settles into the familiarity of being in the Metaverse, having a clear goal laid out in front of her. 

“This is odd,” Haru says quietly. “There’s no way things will be this easy. Where’s the rest of the palace?”

“Below the stage.” Futaba’s voice crackles on in her earpiece. “There are several levels underneath. The treasure is at the very bottom level.”

Haru thinks that the last thing she wants to do right now is be here, among a cheering crowd while she can only assume Akechi Goro is up on that stage performing his heart out. Just like he did for all of them. The fact that they saw through him so quickly makes up for none of what happened. 

Haru didn’t miss the way in which he spoke to Akira, leaned in so close and listened so intently. Was that show? She saw how he and Makoto truly poked fun at each other, too gentle. How he seemed to actually look, actually see all of them. He even spoke softly to Haru about her father, as if he himself didn’t murder him. Sympathized with her, he mentioned his own mother to Haru’s face. It seemed so genuine. 

How was all of that show?

In her heart, she can’t help but feel that maybe somewhere in there, there was a small semblance of truth. She knows he works for someone, so maybe...maybe he was just too scared to say no. She doesn’t want to think about it, about the possibility of them being similar. That terrifies her, more than anything. 

Haru shoves forward through the crowd, pushing the faceless masses aside with the blunt side of her axe.

Whatever the truth is, she aims to find it. Even if it is scary. 


	2. Act 1, Scene 2: Knight of Swords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knight of Swords. You embark on a new venture as if charging into battle. There is no stopping you. Allow time to think things through. Shortcuts can blind you to complications that surround you, leading to defeat.

Makoto finds the trek to the stage very easy, probably too easy. Haru simply shoves open a path and the rest of them follow. None of them have said hardly a word since they entered, and it’s almost eerie how deathly quiet it is. Even the sounds in the palace are muted, incessant chatter that’s entirely gibberish that Makoto can’t understand. 

As they get closer and closer, it becomes more and more apparent that the figure up on stage isn’t Akechi at all. 

Rather it’s a shadow dressed like him. How fitting, considering how fake every iteration of Akechi they’ve ever met has been. It seems hostile though, with the way it stops spewing nonsense as they approach. Makoto begins to come up with a plan, thinking of taking it on with her, Yusuke, Ryuji, possibly Haru or Ann. She’ll have to step in as leader, so obviously she has to be in rotation. But otherwise, she thinks maybe she can keep up with healing enough that they should go for higher damage. Without Akira around, they lose some of their usual versatility. Hitting hard, hitting fast, that may have to be their new strategy here. 

Before she can say anything though, Haru hops up on stage and brings her axe down hard on the shadow.

With a single hit, it’s gone. The rest of them stand in silence for a moment, and Makoto is too stunned to even try to speak. 

“Let’s go,” Haru says. “There’s a hatch right here.”

That snaps her slightly out of it, nodding at Haru and taking action. Makoto takes the lead, descending down the ladder into the lower level of the stage. It’s clear this is where the palace begins. Even the endless chatter fades out into the usual music that’s expected of palaces. It sounds downright militaristic.

And the room around them looks like the police station, and everywhere there are signs for  _ Ace Detective: Akechi Goro.  _

“Oracle?”

“It seems to be this one level, set up in a maze of sorts. At the center is the entrance for the next level, as well as a very strong shadow.”

Makoto nods to herself. She doesn’t have real orders for them, and she struggles to think of what Akira might’ve said or done in her position. In the end, all she can remember is how he looked after he came back with her sister. That haunted look in his eyes, how he refused to talk to any of them...

“Okay. Well I suppose all we can do is work through the maze. Keep your guards up.”

And she steps into the maze of desks and dividers, the walls of files and cabinets. Losing herself in exploring a palace, letting herself forget everything else just for a little while. 

It’s definitely weird, leading when she’s so used to following. Of course it always feels like they’re a team, all working together towards the same goal. Akira liked to be shy about being the leader, and pretend they all had the same influence. But he said when they went to the Metaverse and for how long, even when Makoto was barely standing he’d give her some coffee and go back in. And she would simply follow, sure he knew what he was doing, because he always did. He led the pack in the palaces, choosing each path, when they fought shadows, when they took breaks. He’d tell them what moves he thought they should use, called out shadows’ weaknesses, asked for buffs and debuffs on certain targets. 

He called every shot there was to call, all the while insisting he was their leader only in title. 

Makoto isn’t sure if she knows how to pace it as well as he could, if she’ll know the way. If anyone will even listen to her like they all listened to him without a second thought. 

Like here, when she rounds a corner and gets knocked on her ass by a shadow.

It was rare that they got ambushed when Akira was leading. He was always so careful, so considerate. And even when they did, he was immediately barking out orders because he knew what he was doing.

Makoto doesn’t, she just doesn’t know how to do what he did. She has no confidence that any of her orders will be followed as easily, so all she can do is brace herself. 

She shuts her eyes and waits until the shadows get their hits in. On the other side, they’ve all barely survived. She isn’t feeling so hot already, even though Ann has taken it upon herself to start healing her. 

“Noir, these shadows are weak to psychic,” Makoto calls, somewhat weakly.

“I know.” Haru is already ripping the mask off her face. “Milady!”

Makoto braves herself as the heavy psychic damage hits the shadows and fills the air. In there somewhere she hears Ryuji follow up with an attack of his own, and when she opens her eyes they’re all alive and the shadows are all dead. She didn’t do a single thing. 

“I’m sorry,” she says. “Let’s keep going.”

From there on she’s probably much too careful, avoiding shadows wherever they can. She wants nothing to do with fighting after her embarrassing display. They could all probably use the practice leading up to what’s bound to be a big fight at the end, but she can’t bring herself to do it. She doesn’t want to disappoint them, put any of them in danger. 

Instead she slinks around corners, only fighting when there’s no other way around. 

“We’re approaching the middle of the maze.” Futaba’s voice comes crackling through. “Shouldn’t be far now.”

Except when Makoto peeks around the next corner, she can only freeze up.

Her sister wanders back and forth, in her work clothes. She has a file open in her hands, and she murmurs to herself. She seems normal, like whatever distortion Akechi has of her isn’t too far from the truth. Not far enough that Makoto can even see a difference, not immediately. 

And then Makoto catches her say Akira’s name.

She rounds the corner, unsure if this is going to be a hostile encounter. She got her fill of that in her sister’s actual palace. 

“Sis?”

“Makoto?” Sae turns, titling her head. “What are you doing here?”

“I...what’s going on?”

“I’m just looking through that kid’s file. Just interrogated him, Akechi is supposed to see him shortly as well.” Sae closes the file in her hands. “Why?”

“We have to get past,” Makoto says. “Please.”

“Oh.” Sae laughs. “You’re just here for the show, of course. Go ahead then, but be careful of the Detective. He doesn’t let just anyone in.”

Makoto nods her head, although she glances worriedly at everyone else. Still, she proceeds with as much caution as she can afford. She has a feeling this fight may be unavoidable, but she also isn’t that confident that they’ll be able to get through. She does her best not to show the indecision in her face, but she isn’t sure how successful she is. 

“This is it, beyond here is the center with that strong shadow.”

Through the doorway, Makoto sees Akechi Goro as she saw him often, in his everyday clothes. Beside him stands Akira, as she saw him often too, in his everyday clothes. The only difference is he’s handcuffed, leaning against a filing cabinet.

“The Phantom Thieves? I don’t believe you have an invitation to our show,” Akechi tells them. 

When he looks up, Makoto sees the flash of yellow. He seems to try to hide his eyes, the best he can anyway. Makoto can only see glimpses every once in a while. 

“Our?”

“Kurusu and I, of course.” He takes Akira by the shoulder and drags him forward. “The final show, the danse macabre. It won’t be this me, and it won’t be this Kurusu either. No, in the final room of this palace lays our true selves, dancing the final dance. Not that you’ll get to see it of course. This palace is designed around you troublemakers, to keep you from my heart. Without your leader with you, you only make it easier.”

“Shut up.” Haru steps forward, axe in hand. “If it’s a fight to move forward, then shut up and let’s fight.”

Akechi’s face sours. But he seems to shake it off, smiling widely at them. The mask falls back into place. 

“Go on.” He shoves Akira down the hatch in the middle of the room. “Don’t worry, it’s not a long fall. Anyway, you said let’s fight? I’m surprised you have such confidence. Against an opponent like me? I’m surprised you bothered to show up without Joker. I wonder why that is.”

But it’s so odd to Makoto, that they’re fighting the palace owner so soon. As long as she’s been here, nothing like this has ever happened. It’s too early, and Akechi had even said that it wasn’t this him that would be at the end of the palace. Something is off. 

Robin Hood does not appear. Actually, no persona appears at all. Rather, Akechi just cocks a gun and looks at them openly.

“That’s it?” Makoto asks. “A single gun against persona users?”

He shrugs. The movement, his body language, he’s entirely relaxed. He either doesn’t care if he loses, or is completely confident that he’ll win. 

“This is only the first level, the less you know the better.” He levels the gun directly at Makoto and shoots.

Surprisingly, it takes her right down for the count. It scrambles her head, and before she knows it she’s on the ground. She barely registers when Akechi starts talking. 

“You see, the bullets are different types I suppose. Ice, psychic, the likes. I got the idea from Kurusu after all, his love for those items. And I know all your weaknesses, Phantom Thieves.”

She floats in and out of consciousness, though hands lay on her and she feels Ann’s attempt to heal her. She holds on, and at one point she hears a bullet whiz right past her head. She isn’t sure what Akechi hit her with, but she can’t make herself get up. She doesn’t even want to get up. 

She underestimated him. 

She can vaguely hear the fight going on, the yells for their personas and Akechi’s commentary alike. He’s just rambling, calling them weak, taunting them. 

Ann pulls her up suddenly, holding her entirely upright. Ryuji grabs her other side. 

Across from them, she sees Akechi knocked to the ground. 

“Is every level like this? Will you always be waiting for us?” Haru holds her axe to his neck. “What’s on the next level?”

And Akechi looks up at her and grins. 

“Do you have any intention of telling me why you don’t have Joker with you?” he asks plainly. 

“No,” Haru snaps. 

And then he brings his gun up and shoots himself. 

Makoto shuts her eyes tightly. It’s more out of shock than fear, and the noise hurt her head. She hopes that doesn’t actually end up hurting his real world self. 

“What the fuck?!” Ryuji says right in her ear. “Hell, I knew he wouldn’t tell us anything but...damn!”

“Let’s get out of here,” Yusuke mutters. “I don’t think any of us are in much of a state to continue. Is that agreeable Queen?”

“Yes,” she says, although she feels like she doesn’t deserve the final say. Not after the pathetic display she showed them all today. 

But once she’s back in the real world, once she can think again, she’ll come up with a plan. She’ll figure this out, for everyone’s sake.

She has to.


	3. Act 1, Scene 3: Seven of Wands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven of Wands. Stand your ground in the face of opposition. Challenges and obstacles are inevitable. You have made it this far. Hold tight to your course. The sky is wide open. Strong self-confidence is needed.   
> Boundaries for yourself and others, internal and external.

Ryuji holds his bat pretty loosely in his hand. The first day in the palace showed off just how disorganized things are without Akira. They’re managing, he knows they’re plenty strong without him, but they’re all frazzled. It’s their second day in the palace, and they still don’t know much, they haven’t gotten very far.

It’s just that he’s so used to Akira leading, to blowing through palaces in one or two days with a lot of coffee and sketchy medicine to get them through it. It was exhausting, but always fun. There was something so good about sitting together in those safe rooms, half asleep on their feet, drinking their own coffees. Ryuji always felt so much better after drinking the coffee Akira brewed for him, like it gave him a second wind to keep going. It was a crazy way to do things, but it still worked. It was Akira, and when Akira got his sights on something it was nonstop until he had it. Akira used to get so pissed when something physically forced them to leave a palace early. Madarame’s door they had to open, needing to find another way into Kaneshiro’s, requiring different things from Futaba during her palace. 

Makoto is a great leader, but she can’t be Akira. She works as his right hand, easily planning things behind the scenes while Akira put her ideas into practice. 

That’s not fair though. Nobody can be Akira, nobody can get even close. That’s why they’re doing this, even if it’s not what they want. They’ll need all the help they can get going into Akira’s palace, and even the possibility they can get Akechi on their side is a risk they should take. 

The second level isn’t the maze that the first was. Rather it has the layout of a mini palace. The regular locked doors, needing to beat up shadows to pass and such. It’s all pretty par for the course, and actually much easier to get through than the maze. The surroundings change, sometimes looking like Mementos, but other times twisting into unfamiliar scenery. It’s something easy they can settle into, and blow through with relative ease. 

In general though, it seems to have a Metaverse theme. Which makes sense, it’s clear Akechi has a good amount of attachment to the Metaverse. That’s something Ryuji can relate to him on.

Having this, helping to found the Phantom Thieves, he doesn’t know where he’d be without it at this point. It really made a big difference in his life. He felt pretty alone before all this. 

Meeting Akira and getting close to Ann again probably softened him up. He’s not quite such a rash thinker as he was, although he does still tend to act before he thinks. But really, he’s a better person for having met them. He has a really good outlet for all his crap he bottles up now, and it’s healthy. Feels good to help people. 

It’s one of the better things to happen to him. So he can relate to feeling so attached to the Metaverse, so much it feels like it’s part of your personality. That once you peel back a few layers, that’s all you think you can see. 

But the person Ryuji is and has become, is influenced by but doesn’t include who he is here. Skull and Ryuji are separate, and he doesn’t think Akechi has made such a distinction for himself.

Quite the opposite, he seems to have founded himself a lot on the Metaverse, and his power in it. His ego, his purpose, a lot of who he is hinges on this and this alone. 

That’s where he differs from Ryuji.

He’s not at all surprised to see Crow and Joker waiting for them at the end of the level.

Just as they usually appear in the Metaverse, but still Joker in those handcuffs. It makes some sense, considering Akechi still doesn’t know Akira is alive. But then why does he appear at all, if Akechi thinks he’s dead? Ryuji can’t begin to try to understand what he’s thinking, even when he’s in his head. 

“Took you long enough. Of course my counterpart had no chance stopping you.” Crow raises a hand to his mouth. “He wasn’t meant to, though. Truly, it matters much more that I stop you now than he stopped you then. That’s neither here nor there though, the only thing that matters is that we fight. I see you decided to come back, even without your leader. Again. Why is that?”

Again, Akechi speaks as if Akira is still alive. Even though he must believe Akira is dead, judging by just about everything else they’ve seen. There’s no reason for him to suspect otherwise. So why?

“You’re so confident you’ll win?” Ryuji asks, genuinely curious.

“Fairly confident. At the very least...” Crow laughs. “You won’t make it past the next level. Not without Akira, poor thing. Shame I had to kill him.”

There it is. Directly contradicting himself. Akechi asks why they’re there without Akira, while acknowledging that he “killed” him. 

Ryuji itches to ask about it. 

“Why are you so surprised we’re here without Joker? You said it yourself, you killed him.”

Ryuji hopes his voice doesn’t give away the indecision he feels with the question, or the lie he has to tell. 

Akechi just smiles at them.

“Why are you still talking? Your voice is grating on my ears, I just want to fight and get this over with. Erase the rest of the Phantom Thieves from the world.”

“Funny, you’re not acting like the Crow you pretended to be,” Ryuji comments. 

Makoto puts a hand on his shoulder, like this is what she considers lashing out. He’s only pointing out something they’re all thinking. He’s just trying to get them all some answers. 

“There’s no need to, not when you already see me as something else.” The hatch in the floor opens up, and down Joker goes. “Too bad I can’t get this one to fight with me. Our cognition of him remains the stoic leader he was, unfortunately. Otherwise you’d really be done for. As it is, I’d like to see if you can beat me anyway.”

Ryuji slings his bat over his shoulder and stands backup for Yusuke. They tend to rotate in and out for each other, usually depending on the enemy. Makoto hasn’t made the call much, so they just decide when it comes down to it. 

Here, Crow summons Robin Hood, so it doesn’t really matter. So Ryuji lets himself step back, and promptly gets to watch Robin Hood decimate most of the main team. Makoto, Yusuke, Ann, and Haru are all very quickly and efficiently not quite beaten, but still beat up. Ryuji steps in for Yusuke, and watches Ann step back to let Morgana in. 

They don’t have the all encompassing monster of a hitter that Akira is here. So all Ryuji can do is wind himself up and whack it as hard as he can as many times as he can until his body can’t handle it anymore. Until the recoil from his own moves starts to wear on him more than he can be healed through properly. 

Even then, he finds it in himself to push more. Because it’s him or Yusuke, and Yusuke is still gasping for each breath behind him. 

His feeling in the Metaverse is a little different, a little dulled. But it isn’t Skull winding up the bat to swing, it’s Ryuji. It’s always Ryuji when he’s trying to protect someone he cares about. 

It’s probably some fatal flaw, but he doesn’t care. Yusuke makes no effort to step in, so Ryuji keeps throwing himself at the fight until he feels something start to give. 

It’s a particularly nasty hit he gets in that downs Crow and Robin Hood.

“Well.” Crow sits on the ground, hand around the barrel of Ryuji’s gun. “What now?”

“Tell us what’s so special about the next layer.” Ryuji flexes his finger on the trigger, barely, just a warning. “Why is it important we don’t see it?”

“Why are you doing this?” he asks right back. 

“You’re not in a position to be making demands,” Ryuji reminds him. “Answer our questions first.”

Crow grins, and slides his hand off the gun. Then rests his finger over Ryuji’s and presses it against the trigger. The gunshot makes his ears ring. Ryuji flinches, but comes to himself as the shadow dissipates. Because it’s just a shadow. 

Of course it wouldn’t give them information, just like the last one. Of course it self destructs. 

“Let’s keep going,” Makoto says. “Clearly the next level is important.”

Ryuji is well aware most of them are half asleep, and that was a rough fight. He doesn’t say that though, sure she has a plan. He has to put that trust in her at least. Even if she isn’t Akira, she’s the leader they’re all following now. 

Still, he gives out what few items he has on him to his friends to perk them up. 

And he tries not to think about how much he misses having Akechi on their side like that.


	4. Act 1, Scene 4: Seven of Cups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven of Cups. The dreamer is swept away in a deluge of illusions and ideas. So many projects, so little time. Prioritize what can be accomplished and what is out of reach.  
> All that glitters is not gold. Face reality.

Yusuke descends into the next level with as much grace as he can still muster. He isn’t too worse for wear, although that’s mostly due to the weight Ryuji pulled for him. He is grateful, but during the last level he has to admit he probably let Ryuji do too much. But that’s a tradeoff they have to make, and it leaves Yusuke in better shape to take care of things this time around. It probably won’t make too much of a difference in the end anyway, but it gives Ryuji time to recover at least. Without Akira’s coffee to give them all that strength they would normally get about now, they’re all just a little tired, cranky.

At the very least, Makoto keeps her resolve. 

“I just want to find a safe room,” she says. “And I’m sure we can push ourselves further. I want to try to get to the end of the palace, even if we can’t do many more fights.”

Yusuke looks around the floor, the cold sterile feeling of it. Professional. It’s laid out slightly like a meeting room, and there’s a door at the very end of it. 

Shadows wander through the otherwise empty room. 

The whole feeling of the place is rather stifling. 

“It’s probably a government building,” Futaba says. “Something like that, I think. Just be cautious, there’s a few rooms, so don’t pick fights unnecessarily.”

Yusuke keeps low and moves behind Makoto. 

It’s odd not to have Akira with them, not to have his quiet directions and sure actions. He can’t feel quite as secure with Makoto, although he trusts entirely that she’s competent and can do this. It’s different, but he’s no less confident that they’re capable. He thinks they’ll be able to steal Akechi’s heart, but doubts how easy it will really be. The change in the style of leadership has left them all just a little messed up, unsure, and it’s definitely been impacting their performance. 

So far, things have been rough. Makoto seems to be struggling to settle into her new position, as the rest of them also try to get used to it. It leaves something to be desired in their synergy. The way they act needs to change, their tactics won’t work the same easy way they did with Akira. 

Even against seemingly untouchable foes, Akira always made it seem easy. Nothing was impossible, nothing had to be. The power of his personas used to shake the ground, the slightly mad look in his eyes only left the rest of them fired up. He would laugh in the face of hardships, in face of deadlines and the risks they were offered. Their Akira was a thrillseeker, he loved the Metaverse, adored the Palaces, reveled in being a Phantom Thief. It wasn’t something the rest of them had to think about, not when he was so powerful and so confident and always seemed to know what he was doing. He was their fearless leader, a steady role that they could all follow without question.

Yusuke hasn’t seen him since the night he returned after...all that. That first time, they all met him. When Sae brought him back to Leblanc, and he walked in looking like he’d seen hell and walked back. He didn’t breathe a word to anyone, just hissed and gritted his teeth as the doctor came to look over him. Then he looked over at the rest of them, blinking as if to assure them all that as dead as his eyes were, he was alive. And then he went upstairs. Nobody’s seen him since, and Morgana can only tell them he can’t use his personas anymore, and that he’s been basically sleeping all day. Yusuke saw nothing within him that even reminded him of the Akira he was supposed to know. 

Yusuke can take small comforts in that he’s alive, and safe. 

Yusuke cares probably a little too much about Akira, and wants him to be happy too. Happy and by his side, not cooped up alone in his room every day. He wants to see the life back in his eyes, for him to be leading them just as always. Going out with Yusuke to do ridiculous things. Back to normal. 

He’s been to Leblanc a few times, and he feels guilty for it. But drinking coffee at the counter and speaking softly to Sojiro is the closest he can get to Akira. He feels infinitely better when he knows Akira is only a staircase away from him. He can never seem to close the distance, though. 

Makoto, having dodged every shadow in the room, tests the door. That seems to be how they’re operating. Avoidance. Just like real life, then. 

“It’s locked,” she murmurs.

Classic. Beat up a shadow to continue. Yusuke wants to laugh at the layout of this whole place, how linear and simple it is. Akechi is anything but those things, but it’s like his mind can’t be bothered to come up with any other cognition. Like he’s just too tired of it all to care enough, and in the end the whole palace has turned out just like every other palace they’ve been in. 

“The shadow directly to your right has the key,” Futaba says.

Makoto turns, gesturing for Yusuke to follow right with her. 

He complies, helping her ambush the lone shadow. Haru and Morgana join them, while Ryuji and Ann hang back. 

As if Yusuke has something to prove after his somewhat failure in the previous fight, he goes all out. He calls for Goemon with more might than he should, and uses much more energy than he should just to down the thing in one hit. At the very least it works, and it saves everyone else some strength for the fight they know is coming up. 

But he hadn’t realized he was getting that worked up. Thinking too much about Akira does that to him. 

Ryuji puts his hand on his back.

“Wanna talk about it dude?”

“No.” Yusuke breaks away to grab the key and unlock the door. “Let’s proceed.”

All their worried eyes on him only make him retreat that much more. He’d rather not bring up Akira to the lot of them, not with the way he knows they’ll react. The scattered glances, the sighs, the avoidance. They all think about it, he knows. He knows they’re all thinking about him now, about how much they wish he were leading them. Every single misstep, every time they have a bit of trouble, he can feel them think about it. It’s obsessive, and it’s not good for the team. It doesn’t matter how good of a job Makoto manages to do, they all just miss him. Yusuke knows he misses him. 

But as much as they think about it, absolutely none of them want to talk about it.

The door opens into a grand hall, with very few hiding spots. Formless, faceless shadows chatter endlessly. Broken sentences that Yusuke can’t make any sense of. He catches some words, some names, he hears “Akechi” quite a few times. But otherwise it’s mostly indistinguishable. 

“This door isn’t locked,” Futaba says. “But good luck getting there without being spotted. And if you are, it’s likely all the others will see you as well.”

“Let’s try, at least, to sneak past.” Makoto crouches around the corner of a wall. “We’re not equipped to fight them all.”

Yusuke bites his tongue and crouches beside her. He follows her around the room, ducking behind chairs and planters and just barely staying in the blind spots as shadows move around. As they’re moving past a big group of them, a discussion seems to turn to an argument. They get loud, and things start getting thrown around. Makoto’s hand is on his chest before he can initiate a fight. 

“Calm,” she commands. “They’re more distracted than ever, let’s move.”

And miraculously, they make it to and through the door.

On the other side is a safe room, and Yusuke leans against a wall. He grapples with the fact that he may not have put as much faith in Makoto as he should’ve. Maybe all she needs is the proper support from the rest of the team to thrive. He unconsciously was holding back on her.

She comes over and coaxes him to have some sketchy medicine that burns as it goes down in a familiar way. But at the same time it gives him that boost of energy.

She smiles at him.

“Mona smuggled some leftover stuff Akira had for us. I was going to tell you guys, but I honestly forgot until I was looking through my bag. What do you say? Up for one more fight?”

Yusuke finds it in himself to smile back at her, as confident as he can manage to be. She’s issuing a very timid command, a plan. She still can only ask. Yusuke should be supporting her, after all it’s clear she’s not too comfortable in this role either.

“We can do this,” he assures her. “Get Panther and Noir back on their feet and we can absolutely do this.”

She nods, uncertainty melting into determination.

“Yeah. Rest up for a moment, and then we’ll proceed.”

Now it’s an order. He nods. 

Ryuji comes up to him, as Ryuji does.

“You alright?”

“I’m managing,” he says. “It’s rough, but I’m managing. I apologize for losing my cool earlier.”

“No, no hard feelings.” Ryuji pats his back. “We got this, yeah?”

He sounds unsure.

“Absolutely. Akira is versatile, that’s why it feels like we’re struggling so much. But as long as we play our cards right and rely on each other, we’ll be just fine.”

It’s one of the first times he’s spoken so openly about Akira since it all. Even his name out loud can feel like taboo sometimes. Ryuji seems surprised for a moment, but then he furrows his brow and nods.

“You’re right,” he says. “I didn’t even think about that. Akira has a lot of different personas, so it feels like he’s always got the right answer ya know? Hm.”

“But we have our own versatility, we just have to work together to achieve it.”

Yusuke thinks they relied too much on Akira this whole time, and counted on him to always know where to go and what to do. It’s left them scrambled and scattered in the wake of him...leaving them like this. It exposed weaknesses Yusuke didn’t realize they had.

And then Makoto gestures for them to join her at the door leading to what Yusuke can only assume in the final room leading to the next level.

Yusuke steels himself, and steps in behind Makoto.

As the door opens, Yusuke blinks. And he blinks very hard, and swallows around the lump in his throat. He registers that Ann has come in behind him, and that she’s hiding her face against his shoulder. Her hands tremble where they have hold of his sleeve.

Yusuke feels like cowering a bit himself.

Akechi and Akira, like every single room. This time, Akira is slumped in the corner, a bullet wound through his forehead. The room is a single podium, which Akechi stands next to. He’s dressed in his everyday clothes again, although something dark storms in his expression. He scans over them, and something about him screams exhaustion. 

“Kitagawa Yusuke, Madarame’s little prodigy,” he says. “How’s it feel?”

“What?”

“How does it feel to be free of him?” Akechi approaches him now. “Tell me.”

Yusuke considers asking him why he’s asking. Who could possibly be trapping Akechi like this. He doubts he would get an answer, but maybe humoring Akechi here wouldn’t do more harm than good. 

“Like I’ve finally been let out of a locked room,” Yusuke answers, for the sake of it. “Like I can breathe, when I had no idea I was holding my breath. Akin to seeing colors for the first time, an experience you didn’t know you were missing your whole life. Why?”

Akechi grabs at his clothes now, grasping him as tightly as Ann is. His hands are trembling too, and the exhaustion falls away to desperation. He tries to pull him in, but his pull is too weak to actually move him. 

“How? How did you do it? Tell me! I want that!”

Akechi is unraveling, his features descending into madness. Terror, expressions Yusuke would never think he’d see on Akechi’s face. He looks on the brink of tears. 

Yusuke can relate entirely to the spiral, to the jealousy turned on those who managed to escape. Even when he was blind to the truth, in the back of his mind Yusuke always wanted an out. Envied those who got theirs. Is that what this is?

“I needed help,” Yusuke admits. “Just let us help you.”

He has no idea who Akechi is trying to escape here, but that part of him that remembers exactly what Akechi is feeling right now wants to help. He can’t even help it. 

And then Akira stands up, eyes opening although he still seems for all the world dead. It’s remarkable how similar his eyes look to Akira’s back in the real world. Open, blinking, but still dead and empty. He walks over to Akechi and drags him back. With a pointed look, he climbs down into the next level by himself. 

“That’s right...” Akechi nods. “We have to fight. The others must’ve failed already. And you can’t go further. It’ll be a disaster if you meet  _ him _ .”

“Who?”

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t even matter that I show you this here and now.” Akechi’s outfit melts into something dark and unfamiliar. “You won’t survive Loki, not without Akira. You won’t live to meet him. Because this? Is where your justice ends.”

And Akechi summons another persona. Not Robin Hood. And the mask, a black mask, just like Kaneshiro had mentioned. Could it possibly be? 

Yusuke takes a step back, feeling the power in the air as stifling as it is. He knew, they all suspected, that Akechi had to be responsible for the unknown Metaverse activity. But he never imagined something like this, Akechi having a second persona. Is he like Akira? What does this mean? The lack of knowledge they have going into things makes him want to back away. 

Makoto’s hand is on his back, pushing him back forward.

“We got this,” she assures him. “At the ready now.”

“I don’t see any weaknesses, but I can weaken him myself,” Futaba says. “Just a second. Buy me a second.”

That’s right, this is something they have to do. And he’s being given an order, as vague as it may have been. 

So Yusuke raises his blade and swings, feeling it connect and slice satisfyingly off of Akechi. But he hardly flinches, and the next moment Yusuke is hit with something he hardly sees, and goes down hard. He doesn’t know how much help that really did for them. 

But Ann’s hand is on his back still, and her healing energy comes through stronger than the pain. And Futaba seems to have pulled off whatever she was planning, judging by Ryuji’s cheer.

“Good job,” Makoto says to him. “Step back a moment, get your bearings.”

He falls into the back line with Ann, breathing. Makoto is barking out orders now, a steady stream of things. Calls to dodge, suggestions of their next moves. It’s nice to see. 

And Akechi with this persona hits hard and fast, but only one at a time. Every bit they whittle down on him is a small victory. Even when he brings one of them down, all they need is a small break with Ann or Morgana taking care of them until they can get back up.

Yusuke quickly jumps back into the fight, although he’s in and out depending on who’s recovering. Where Makoto orders him to be, he pushes through when his body screams at him to stop. It’s harder than he usually gets pushed, but that’s fair enough. 

And it’s not too bad, it’s not as difficult and daunting as it seemed. Yusuke puts all his trust in his teammates and finds that they all come out on the other end. 

“I assume you’ll end yourself before we can ask you anything?” Yusuke asks the downed shadow.

He shrugs, pulling off his damaged mask. His eyes are back to being tired. 

“If you got past me, the rest is child’s play,” he says. “There’s nothing more I can do here that will change anything. We’re practically doomed. It’s a shame you’ll meet the rest of them. I can only hope  _ he  _ stops you.”

“Who is it that you keep talking about?”

Akechi keeps his mouth shut, and the next moment his hands are moving and there’s a resounding gunshot. Yusuke expected this, but it doesn’t make it any less...difficult to watch. 

“He’s self destructive,” Ann comments. 

Yusuke can’t stop thinking about how Akechi held onto him, practically begging for help. And Akira’s the one who snapped him to. 

Yusuke doesn’t want to think about Akechi in the real world, what in his palace is truly present there. But at the same time, Yusuke is hopelessly curious about what must be going on in his mind. Even in his palace, literally in his head, there are so many answers they aren’t getting. What he thinks about Akira, who’s holding him in the same way Madarame held Yusuke, why he’s doing this, why he developed a palace. All these thoughts start to plague him. 

With all that, he starts relating to Haru. If Akechi went through what he did...

Forgiving Akechi for some reason the palace has uncovered. 

He wants to save Akechi. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates back to back I know I just got impatient. I couldn't help it.


	5. Act 1, Scene 5: Two of Cups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two of Cups. The Harpy are spirits of the wind who are passionate in their endeavors. This card presents symbols of world harmony. The songs of joy and sorrow come together as a powerful force that can sink ships.  
> Unity, twin flames.

Ann is pretty sick of watching every single Akechi they encounter commit suicide. She’s sick of this palace, of how bad it makes her feel about and for Akechi. She isn’t sure if he’s this self destructive in their reality, and she never got that sense from him, but clearly he’s a lot different than any of them saw. She’s pretty sick of not having Akira with them, and not even because he’s their leader. She misses him, and it freaks her out a little bit that she has barely seen him since they faked his death. She knows why, but her mind tries to tell her that the worst has happened, that he’s really gone. She’s sick of feeling like everything is falling apart and there’s nothing she can do about it. 

The next level of the palace they’ve found themselves on is blank. There are scattered desks, papers, but the walls are just white and plain. No shadows. At the table at the furthest end of the level, Akechi and Akira sit together poring over a large sheet of paper. Akira has an arm around Akechi, and Akechi rests comfortably against his side as he points to certain spots on the paper. 

Two mugs sit beside either of them, and from over here, Ann can hear them actually speaking to each other. They’re too far away to pick up the actual words being exchanged, but the quiet murmur persists in the background. 

“What?” she mutters. “No shadows? Nothing?”

“Don’t let your guard down,” Makoto warns. “Let’s just approach.”

So Ann brings up the back half of the group, cautiously moving forward even though all she wants to do is back out now. This screams trap. 

And yet, even as they stand right in front of the table, no shadows jump out to ambush them.

She sees the sketch of a boat on the paper, the scribbled notes, even coffee stains. If not for the white walls...

The walls flicker, and then they’re in Leblanc. Akira and Akechi sit in a booth now, not at a table. Akechi glances up at them briefly, smiles, and then drinks from his mug. 

“What’s going on?” Makoto asks, though it’s more for Futaba than the rest of them.

“It seems like a simple change in scenery,” Futaba says. “Still no shadows. I don’t think there’s a threat here, as far as I can tell.”

“Hey guys,” Akira says suddenly. “What’re you doing standing around? Sit down.”

Ann’s heart jumps right in her throat and she presses her hands over her mouth to stifle whatever sound of pain tries to escape her. Akira is speaking, speaking to them. And how he is here, his eyes look so alive and happy. There are no marks on his face to indicate that anything bad could have possibly happened, and he’s relaxed. 

Makoto slides into the booth opposite, and after a moment Ann slides in next to her. Yusuke and Ryuji pull extra chairs up, but as Futaba comes out of her ship, she just hops onto a stool at the counter. 

Haru, after a moment, sits on an extra chair.

“You’re late,” Akechi tells them, grinning. “What held you up? We were waiting a while for you.”

He talks to them familiarly, like they belong in this cognition too. He doesn’t move away from Akira, he doesn’t snap at them. He’s smiling like he’s happy, like he’s relieved, and Ann can only see something genuine in it. 

“Um. Don’t worry about it, just catch us up,” Makoto says. 

“Well, I think it’ll be easiest to do from inside his palace,” Akechi says casually. “Of course I’m counting on all of you to help me, but when it comes down to it I’ll do it.”

“Do what?”

“Kill him, obviously.” Akechi points to the sketch of the boat. “I know his palace is a boat, but I’ve only actually been inside a handful of times, and I’ve never gone far. He’s going to know, very quickly, if we start messing around in his head.”

“We’ll just do it in a straight shot if we can manage then.” Akira speaks softly, and puts his hand over Akechi’s. “We can do it.”

Akechi had tensed slightly as he spoke about this infiltration, but the movement calms him immediately. He seems to breathe now, any panic leaving him in a moment. 

“Who are you killing?” Makoto asks.

Akechi looks over at her, eyes full of fire. Makoto keeps winding him back up, probably without even thinking. This is the only Akechi who has given them any answers, she can understand why Makoto is eager to ask questions. 

“The man who ruined my life.”

Ann is reminded, all too abruptly, of her own anger. The fire she held in her over Kamoshida, the man she thought would ruin her life forever. His eyes look like how she felt. She doesn’t know who Akechi is talking about, but if it’s like that...maybe she should try talking to him. If this Akechi and Akira are willing to talk, maybe they can also be reasoned with. 

“But...is killing him the answer?” Ann asks him.

“Obviously. It’s only fair!” Akechi slams his fist on the table. “He’s the reason my mother is dead, the reason I’ve...done all the awful things I’ve done. If I let him live, then I did everything for no reason! I have to give the dead their peace, and then I can be done with it all.“

Ann doesn’t follow him at all. She still has no clue who this person is, and the outburst doesn’t seem to spell success for her. But she doesn’t want to give up on this yet. 

“Killing him won’t make you feel better,” Ann says, because it’s true. “Making him live with what he’s done will be infinitely worse for him. It’s better revenge than taking a life. You can’t take that back, Akechi.”

“I know!” Akechi starts to stand, but Akira’s hands are on him, pulling him back. “I know, okay? I can’t take back the people I’ve already killed, the best I can do is kill him to make up for it. That’s what I’ve done  _ everything  _ for. I can’t throw it away now, not now that I’m so close. After I...I just can’t.”

Akira is shushing him, pressed so close, and Ann’s heart aches. So this is really how Akechi feels, isn’t it? This is what he wants, as deep down as this. He just wants to belong with them. 

“I’m telling you,” she says, reaching across to hold his hands in hers. “I don’t know who this is, I don’t know what he did to you, but I can tell you that killing someone is so very rarely the answer. Let him rot in a jail for the rest of his life, regretting his every action. Don’t get more blood on your hands.”

“It’s too late for me,” he murmurs.

“It’s not,” she insists, squeezing his hands tightly. “We’re going to save you.”

“It’s too late.” He’s choking up now. “I already killed Akira. After that, it’s too late. I have to get rid of Shido now, otherwise I did that for nothing.”

Beside him, Akira looks down and away. Akechi untangles himself from him and moves away, like touching Akira hurts him. 

“Oh—“

“I killed him.” Akechi’s eyes spill over. “I shot him in the head! The only place I can ever see him, talk to him, have him again is here. In my own mind. And how sick is it, that I wish this was how things were, even though I’m the one who sacrificed this! I didn’t even have a palace before I killed him, I checked! I checked every single day, and the day I murdered him my name was a hit. It’s awful, that after every awful thing I’ve done, every innocent life I took, this is the snapping point. This was really my breaking point.”

“We should stop talking about this,” Akira says, and his voice is just slightly wobbly. “You should all go, anyway. Avenge me, or whatever it is you’re here to do.”

Ann takes a deep breath, and thinks about the consequences of her next words. She doesn’t know how aware Akechi will be of what they do here, but she thinks...if they go through the palace entirely today and send a calling card tonight it won’t have much difference. She wants to see if she can get through to him. 

She should ask Makoto first, but she can’t. She needs to try. 

“Akira is alive.”

Akechi smiles bitterly. He seems to come back into himself, taking these level breaths until he relaxes again. He clutches desperately onto Akira and shakes his head.

“Thank you for trying to make me feel better.” The walls go back to white. “But you should probably keep going huh? As much as I don’t want you to take down this palace, as much as I don’t want to lose what I have left of him, this me can’t stop you. Go steal my heart, if he lets you. Just...be gentle in the next room.“

Ann watches his anger turn, in real time, to defeat and resignation. She hopes that when they get back to the real world, she gets to hug him. It’s good enough for her that he’s regretful, that in the end he was listening to her. That she got through to him a little bit. That he’s going through something the rest of them haven’t seen yet. 

The small morsel of knowledge that’s brought her to mostly forgive him. 

She shares an odd look with Yusuke. She thinks he’s feeling about the same right now. 

She wants nothing more than to fulfill her promise, that they’ll save him. And then take him to see Akira alive and well for himself. That he doesn’t have to torture himself like this anymore. 

She can only hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doing my best currently to EARN the pairing tag now, we are getting there my friends.


	6. Act 1, Scene 6: Six of Swords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six of Swords. It’s time to leave a bad situation. The boat is flimsy and as broken as your will. Shrouded in sadness and without a clear plan of what is to come you watch the shrinking coastline of your past struggles. The waters are strange and filled with the unknown but it is a necessary journey to a new beginning.   
> Moving forward, moving ahead, moving on.

Futaba doesn’t even bother getting back in her persona, because she doesn’t sense anything particularly strong up ahead. She just hangs back, rocking on her heels as Makoto descends into the last level of the palace. And what a weird palace it’s been so far, how the difficulty has almost gone down as they proceeded. The odd layout, going down levels rather than it being fully fleshed out. 

She follows closely, and quickly takes stock of her surroundings once she’s on her two feet again. 

It looks like a house. There’s nothing out of place, nothing odd that she can see at first glance.

She doesn’t immediately see anyone, but then again it’s a house with several rooms. There are some shoes by the door, and the kitchen light is flickering. It seems like a fairly normal home, even if it’s a little small. 

As they step further inside, Akechi appears. He seems frazzled, desperate. He’s in his everyday clothes, kind of. Parts are missing, and he looks mostly just like a mess. He steps around the corner, and starts pushing Makoto back the way she came.

“Akechi I don’t want to fight you again,” she tells him calmly. “Let us pass.”

“No,” he says, quietly. “I don’t want you to see this. And the door won’t open until it happens at least once. Just leave.”

“See what? Until what happens?”

Futaba feels something brush her leg, and she flinches, pressing up close to Ann for a moment before realizing it’s not a threat. She feels unprepared when she isn’t up in her persona watching from afar, but there doesn’t seem to be danger here. Akechi doesn’t seem to be willing to hurt them anymore, not actually trying to stop them outside of his pleas. 

In the end it’s just a kid with shaggy brown hair running past her, into the house. 

“I’m home!” he calls, kicking his shoes off. 

“Go,” Akechi begs, pushing back again. “Please.”

Futaba looks at the little boy as he glances around a corner. His eyes are that bright brown, oddly reddish tinted in certain lighting. His face shape is soft, and he seems pretty tiny. Skinny, a little too slow as he moves around. 

“That’s you, isn’t it?” Futaba asks softly. “Akechi?”

“Don’t look, just stay here at least,” he begs. 

He probably knows they can’t do that for him, but he’s pleading with them anyway.

Makoto shakes her head, moving past him. Futaba finds it in herself to take the lead, trailing after the little Akechi as he looks around the house. 

“Mama!” he finally calls out. “Where are you?”

The air leaves Futaba’s lungs. She wants to lean down and stop the little Akechi from going any further. Just take him away and spare him what she’s almost positive awaits him. She knows not everything he said was a lie, but at the same time she just...wasn’t expecting this to be what awaited them so deep down. 

She follows him, all the way down a hallway and into a room off of it. She can’t stop him from going in there, she knows. She watches over him, though, the best she can. 

She sees very quickly it’s a bedroom, and there’s someone laying halfway off the bed, entirely limp. 

Futaba breathes, in and out. 

“Mama? Wake up, I’m home!”

She doesn’t really need to see the rest of it play out. She leaves the room, although even without the image she can hear when little Akechi starts screaming and sobbing. She stands outside of the doorway, waiting to see if he’ll come out. 

In a way, she knows Akechi killed her mom. That thought is ever prevalent in her mind as they go through his palace. She doesn’t think that as she stands now, she can really forgive him for that. She doesn’t have the authority to say whether or not he deserves to be saved, because as she sees it...what matters is how he acts after they change his heart. If he changes. 

But for now, she’s still angry about what happened. She’s trying to come to terms with the information she’s being given, and sort out how it makes her feel. 

At the same time, Futaba is now very familiar with his head and how he thinks about it all. He feels guilty, and deep down he’s just still messed up from everything he’s experienced. Futaba was the same, in a way. The Phantom Thieves had to steal her heart too, and maybe she didn’t do the things Akechi did, but she still can’t help but relate to him. She wants to forgive him, she wants to try to help him. She knows that’s the right thing to do, no matter what he did. He’s a kid, like the rest of them. At the very least, Futaba can feel deep empathy for him. 

“Futaba are you alright?” Ann asks her gently.

“I’m fine.” She walks up to the shadow Akechi. “I get it, that you feel like you’ll never really be over it. But one year the anniversary will roll around and it just won’t hurt as bad, and you’ll be able to get through it. A dull ache rather than the all encompassing grief it was.”

“Really?”

“Really. The first step is probably to stop playing it on repeat to yourself.” Futaba watches little Akechi run back into the house again, kicking his shoes off. “And then to get a good support system. Like the Phantom Thieves, they’re pretty good at that stuff. You have to let this go. Replaying it won’t change the outcome.”

She watches him watch his little self run around the house looking for his mom. And then he walks over to that bedroom door, and he pulls it shut. 

“I don’t know why you’ve all spent so much effort doing this,” he says. “Even though the fights must’ve been annoying, even though I’m far past a point where you can reason with me. You still did it, you still tried to talk to me and help. Thank you, even though I can’t imagine that I’m worth it. My treasure is just past that door, but I don’t know if he’ll let you take it.”

“Thank you, Akechi,” Futaba tells him, smiling as genuinely as she can. “After we do steal your heart, I promise we’ll tell you all these things in person too.”

Akechi smiles back at her, and opens the door for them. 

“Thank you.”

Futaba drops her goggles back over her eyes, and senses a somewhat strong shadow ahead. So she hops back into Necromomicon and flips her earpiece back on. She waits just a moment, before following behind the other Phantom Thieves as they enter the final room. 

It’s a little cramped, slightly messy apartment. She can see little hints that this is Akechi’s place, not that there are pictures anywhere. No personal touches. She can just tell because of the case files on the table, the clothes hanging up to dry, and the laptop that lays on the side of the couch is definitely his. 

Futaba inches towards where she can detect the shadow until finally it comes into view. The treasure in hand, Akira sits on the couch with his feet kicked up on the coffee table. His feet are right over a file, one with his face on it. 

“You’ll send the calling card tonight then?” he asks casually. “And come back tomorrow for this? It hasn’t materialized quite yet. Although of course he knows what you’re all up to. He’s just waiting for the calling card, now. Funny, he knew you’d get through his palace, even without me. Anyway, just be warned when you do return I won’t be letting you just take off with it.”

“What?” Makoto moves over to stand in front of him. “Akira, why don’t you want us to steal his heart? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Her face loses all confidence, and she looks a little sick. 

Akira sits up properly, turning to face them. His face is bruised and battered, the gunshot wound on his head still leaking blood, and clothes ripped and messy. 

“Doesn’t it?” he asks, clearly angry. “He doesn’t deserve to be saved. Not after what he did to me. I mean come on everyone, did you all forget? Haru, Futaba, did you forget what he did? He can’t use his personas as long as he has a palace, and we all know that’s the only use he has. He’ll be disposed of shortly.”

“We have to go, and send a calling card,” Futaba reminds everyone quietly. “It doesn’t matter what he has to stay, we’re going to steal Akechi’s heart and save him.”

“I’m telling you, you’re making a mistake. He’s far from worth it.” Akira settles back against the couch. “But if you insist, all you have to do is beat me. See you tomorrow.”

With that, they all head back to the real world. Ryuji promises to take care of the calling card, and Futaba says she’ll make sure the message goes straight to Akechi, no interceptions. She’ll find out the address to his apartment so once it’s over they can get to him quickly. 

A quiet affair. 

And they all head their separate ways, to get as much rest as they can manage knowing tomorrow they’ll somehow have to fight and beat Akechi’s cognition of Akira.


	7. Act 1, Scene 7: Five of Wands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five of Wands. The ways ahead are troubled. Differences in opinions are becoming stumbling blocks. This is a time for change. Through discussion and open-mindedness problems can be worked out. The snake is a symbol for transformation and life changes. Be open to new views.  
> Internal and external fighting.

Makoto tries to have a lot of confidence as they go into this palace. She tries to tell herself that she has all the Phantom Thieves by her side, that together they can certainly pull this off. She’s getting a little better at the whole leader thing, and at least everyone listens to her when she can call out orders. She still can’t wait for Akira to be back, for her to be able to fall back into her familiar role. 

But it’s Akira, and besides the possibility that one or more of them might have trouble emotionally fighting him, there’s also the issue that he’s extremely strong and will physically be difficult to fight against. She doesn’t know what Akechi’s cognition will be like here, if it’ll be worse or better than the real thing. Spars with Akira were hellish as is. A full blown fight like this...she doesn’t know what to expect.

Still, Makoto shows no indication that she’s anything but absolutely confident as they enter Akechi’s palace, right beside his apartment. Futaba had found his address, so as soon as they steal his heart they’ll be able to get to him quickly. They don’t want him to do anything rash before 

It’s a straight shot in the palace now. No shadows even roam anymore, and the only level that isn’t entirely vacant is the final one. Even the house scene is eerily quiet. 

But as they open the door to the apartment, there’s no Akechi in sight, it’s still just Akira in that final room with the treasure. He’s twirling it around his fingers, a single white chess piece, and just a pawn to boot. 

“Do we truly have to fight?” Makoto asks him. “We’re doing this all to help you.”

“Help me?” Akira stands, now in his Metaverse outfit. “I’m already dead, I don’t think there’s much you can do for me at this point. It’s a shame, this is the last place I’m alive, in my murderer’s mind. Don’t you want some of me to survive, even in this awful place?”

“No,” Makoto says firmly. “I’m sorry, Akira, we need that treasure.”

“No,  _ I’m _ sorry, I can’t let you take it. He’s going to die along with me.”

Akira stops messing with the chess piece now, closing his fist around it and shoving it into his pocket. He smiles easily at them all, fingers reaching up to wedge underneath his mask. 

“Akira...” Ann starts, then quiets.

“It’s alright,” Makoto assures them. “Panther, Fox. Stay back, please. The rest of you, on me. Oracle, tell me what you can do to help.”

But Akira’s eyes are far from them. In fact, he doesn’t seem to be looking at them at all, as his gaze is fixed somewhere behind them. His expression bitters, turning into something hostile and angry. His hands have fallen limp at his sides, and he’s glaring. 

“This is rich,” Akira spits. “What, are you here to help them?”

“Yes.”

Makoto turns now, seeing a version of Akechi she hasn’t seen before. He’s in clothes she doesn’t recognize, and he’s panting. He comes forward now, to stand in front of the rest of them. In this final room, is this a version of Akechi who will help them?

“You think you can help?” Akira laughs. “How? Against me? You can’t even use your personas. You’re useless.”

“God, I forgot how fast you all move,” Akechi says, sighing. “Thank you, Oracle, for your tip.”

“You’re welcome psycho!”

Makoto glances around, but everyone looks as confused as her. She moves around towards him, trying to puzzle out exactly what’s going on here. 

“What?” she asks bluntly.

“Oracle told me all the pieces to my palace in the calling card she sent, so I could join you all. I didn’t know why, but I see now.” Akechi straightens, stepping further past Makoto to approach Akira. “You’re fighting my cognition of Akira. You should hear what that is from me. That it’ll be rough, because I just see...saw him as extremely strong. I didn’t get to see him in action as much as you all have, I’m sure he’s not, or he wasn’t as untouchable as he seemed.”

“You’re...the real Akechi?” Makoto takes a breath and steps in line with him. “What?”

He finally looks over at her, and she can see his eyes. Vibrant brown, with not even a hint of yellow in them. 

“Oh, yes. Was that not clear?” Akechi runs a hand through his hair. “Like I’d let you steal my heart without me. Anyway, we have a few options here. If anything, I always thought Akira was extremely weak when it came to the rest of you. I thought his kindness and connections were weaknesses, so I’m sure that’s manifested.”

“But he still seems just fine with fighting us,” Ann comments. “I mean seriously, he has had very little hesitation. And we can’t reason with him at all.”

“Yes, but I’d be hesitant to say he’s actually aiming to kill any of you, just harm to the point of you retreating,” Akechi says. “We could exploit that. There’s also quite a few more of us than him, and all we really have to do is take the treasure from him somehow. If we could just incapacitate him once to take it and run? That might be our best bet. I don’t think it would be wise to try and fight him head on, not this cognition of him anyway.”

“I can try to put him to sleep?” Ann offers quietly, unsure.

“That would be perfect,” Akechi says.

The words make Ann stand a little straighter, more confident. 

And Makoto sees the fact that in Akira’s palace, if they really end up bringing Akechi into it with them, he’s almost certainly going to end up leading them. He thinks quicker than Makoto, is much more confident in what he says, much more tactical and sure in his ideas and observations. Even unsure, even in his own palace, he easily settles into the role of dishing out orders for everyone. He’s not even fighting, but he sends Ann, Makoto, Ryuji, and Haru to the front lines. He tells Ann she should take the first move. Despite everything, Ann listens without another word. 

She summons her persona and throws the first “punch” in a way, by trying to cast dormina on Akira. 

It doesn’t hit, and in the next moment Akira fights back. In a flash, there’s a persona behind him and Ann is on the ground prone.

“Shit.” Makoto looks around and tries to puzzle out the next move. 

This isn’t a sustainable way to fight, Akira taking them down that quickly could easily destroy them. They can’t fail this fight, not now. 

“Panther is the only party member aside from Akira who can use dormina,” Akechi says from the back line. “And although now we could knock Akira prone since he’s taken out Jack Frost, we can’t because Panther is also the only party member aside from Akira who can use fire. However, remember that he won’t kill you, he’s not going to go all out. If you just keep trying, we’ll eventually come out on top. Stay calm.”

Makoto wonders if Akechi’s cognition of Akira also includes him being frustratingly clever. Probably. 

She also wonders if Akechi will forgo the heart change entirely and take over the Phantom Thieves here and now. Something in that unsettles her, like it’ll leave her useless to the team if she can’t fill this simple role. With Akira gone, she’s been entrusted to step up, and she hasn’t been able to. No matter how hard she tries, even now Akechi is being more of a leader than she is. 

“Fox, throw the hardest hit you have at him,” Makoto barks.

He does immediately, a move that shakes the very ground and leaves Makoto’s ears ringing. 

On the other side of it, Akira has barely flinched. It hit him right on, but he acts as if he dodged it.

“I told you, I thought he was untouchable,” Akechi comments. “You can’t face him this way.”

And she knew that, she had heard him say that and figured that was the case. She trusted what he said, and despite herself had been so ready to fall back into her old role. Looking to Akechi, and offering support, but being able to step back. Step back down. So she wanted to try it. Wanted to prove, somehow, that she could still do this. She feels embarrassed seeing how hard it fell through. 

Akira switches personas quickly, and in the next moment Makoto finds her head spinning as she sits on the ground. Morgana is right by her, and she’s already feeling her energy coming back to her, but she hadn’t even seen it coming. 

He’s impossibly quick.

“I recall also thinking he hit far too many critical hits,” Akechi says, something unrecognizable now his voice. “Ah, sorry Queen. Panther, keep trying.”

Ann casts dormina again, to little effect yet again. 

Makoto struggles to get up, a little floored that Ann was able to recover so quickly. The next moment, Haru has fallen down next to her, rubbing her back.

Makoto is really failing at every turn, and all she can do is hopelessly stagger back to her feet. 

Things are quickly spiraling out of control. Akira switches personas too quickly for any of them to try to take advantage of any one of them, and he’s targeting whoever he deems the biggest threat to him at the moment. Makoto worries he’ll knock them all down before they can knock him down once. But still, Akechi insisted that wouldn’t happen, that no matter how certainly Akira was winning, they’d be safe. But can she really trust him? Who’s to say this is the real Akechi, she has no proof besides something as simple as his eye color. This whole place is supposed to be one big act anyway, so what can she do? This might not be someone on their side, so she has to get up! 

“Akira?” Akechi calls suddenly. 

The air loosens, and it feels like Makoto can breathe as the focus is turned from them to Akechi. This must be it, a dramatic reveal that Akechi isn’t on their side after all.

“What.”

“I’m sorry, you know. Really, truly. I’ve never been particularly sorry about the things I’ve done before, but this time I really am.”

“What does it matter?” Akira scoffs. “I’m dead, it’s not as if you accidentally bumped into me on the train. Sorry isn’t going to bring me back to life.”

“I know.” Akechi smiles in a sad sort of way. “I regret it, I regretted it the moment it really hit me what happened. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever had to do, although to be fair it’s probably just because it was you.”

“So you should have to problem joining me in death. Just give up, I know that’s what you want anyway. Why are you even still holding on?”

“Frankly I don’t want this palace to come down at all, because the last thing I want is for any last bit of you that’s left to disappear.” Akechi steps forward, in front of the rest of them. “But they’re not going to give up on me, I’m sorry. They’ll throw themselves at it until they get it. I know, because I know you taught them that way. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need you to let this go. And I’ll let it go too. I promise.”

“I...”

Ann casts dormina and Akira collapses to the ground, fast asleep.

Akechi looks back at her, and smiles.

“Hey that was a good one,” he compliments softly.

In the end, Akechi quietly and easily formed a plan and won the fight for them. 

And he walks over to Akira and grabs the pawn from his pocket. 

Makoto sees him wipe at his eyes.

“Goodbye Akira,” he says, placing a gentle hand on his limp body. “I’m sorry.”

He gets up, handing the treasure over to Makoto. Pressing the treasure in his twisted heart into her open palm. There’s no hesitation, no sign of regret in his eyes. 

“Well, I suppose this is it?” He looks down, sighing. “I knew it would catch up to me eventually. I’ll see you all on the other side. I’ll stay here as long as I can, I just...want to stay with him an extra second.”

Makoto bites her tongue and just nods, beginning navigation back to the real world.

She thinks they’ll have to all bring Akechi over to Leblanc to show him Akira, they’ll have to get him on their side for the palace. Hash out plans with him, find out what half the things in this palace were even about. 

But for right now she can only thank god that it’s finally over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of Akechi's palace! There will be one chapter to focus on his change of heart, and then we'll jump right into Akira's palace. Those chapters are about double the length that these ones have been so look forward to it!


	8. Act 1, Scene 8: Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death. For every ending there is a beginning; a transition from one aspect of life to another. Put the past behind you as you enter a new phase. The Bateleur Eagle is a powerful creature who can soar to lofty heights other birds merely dream of. This card is a reminder to look closely into the lessons of life for the most minute of details in order to see life from a broader perspective. As life has its highs, it also has its lows. You need the vision to see what is needed to encourage the positive change you seek. You also need to find the courage to accept this change. When a hatchling first emerges it is fragile but with time it will grow to become the symbol for strength. Dependency on dogma and worldly possessions can confuse and  
> entangle you along the way. Seek inner truth to find your way through to a more  
> fruitful future.  
> Change. Rebirth. Transition.

Goro comes to in his apartment. He’s sitting on his couch, right where he was before. The calling card still lays on his table, right next to his phone. 

He stands, just as his door is thrown open and the Phantom Thieves come bursting in. He wonders how they got in, considering he certainly locked it. But then again, underestimating them is always a mistake. He’s pretty sure they’re more than capable of making lockpicks. They definitely seemed to have them in the palaces. 

“Are you alright?” Ann asks him gently.

He starts to answer that he feels fine, and then something in his chest pangs, painfully. He half collapses, grasping for the arm of his couch just before he really hits the ground. 

He gasps for air, as pure guilt runs him through like a sword. He feels like he’s going to be sick, or just drop dead. He’s sure he was suppressing the guilt, blaming whoever else he could manage, even if he knew deep down it was all his fault. He’s irredeemable and he knows it, but still. Still, he’s here. 

His usual numbness won’t come back to protect him from the pain. 

Ann kneels beside him, wrapping up his free hand between her own and squeezing. In a way it helps to ground him. In a way it feels familiar, it feels comforting. 

But he’s way beyond saving, and still can’t comprehend why they all decided he was worth it.

They should’ve given up on him. He wishes he’d stayed in the palace as it crumbled and gone down with it. It hurts more to take the comfort from Ann when he knows he’s far from deserving of it. 

“I’m sorry,” he manages. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

He’s only a little aware of the fact that they guide him into a car, which doesn’t make sense because he didn’t think any of them had a car. But then again there’s Okumura Haru, and she’s now the sole front of an extremely profitable company. There’s no doubt she could arrange something like this, she certainly has the money. 

Because he killed her father.

“I’m sorry, Okumura,” he says, even though his vision feels like it’s fading out and his ears are ringing.

In a way, it’s like he’s apologizing to her and her father. He took away a part of her happiness that she can’t get back. Okumura was ready to change, he wanted to change, he was going to turn around and be a better father to his daughter. And now that’ll never happen, because of what he did. He can’t take that back, that’s a consequence of his actions that will last forever. Just like...

Someone is holding either of his hands and he can’t even move to thank anyone for helping him like this. All he can do is shake and think about the faces of every single person he’s killed. One haunts him the most, the blood and the sound and…

He has to focus on what he can do, right now. Futaba is here, and he can’t take back the torture he put her through. But he can apologize. 

“I’m sorry, Sakura. I’m sorry, everyone.”

Because worst of all, he killed Akira. The last person who could’ve possibly deserved it. Akira, who smiled at him with all that trust. Who shared a burden with him, who moved over to let him join the Phantom Thieves. Even if he entered on a foundation of blackmail, it didn’t feel like that. Not when everyone cheered him on and marveled at how strong he was. Not when Akira looked at him when he needed a second opinion as often as he looked at Makoto. 

Not when he took everything they had and crushed it in an instant. In the worst, most irreparable way he possibly could have. 

Someone pulls his head down to their chest, and after a moment of breathing and listening, he recognizes it’s Ann. Her arms are wrapped around him and she’s shushing him quietly. 

He doesn’t understand. He doesn’t get why she’s being so gentle, so thoughtful and kind. It’s not like they were particularly close even before Goro betrayed them. He just doesn’t get it. He can’t understand the human connections Akira labored for, but right now Ann’s hands on him are all that’s keeping him together. 

“Akechi, come on,” she murmurs to him. “We have to get out of the car.”

He lifts his head up, realizing his hair has stuck to his face because he was crying. He isn’t sure when that happened. 

Ann helps him out of the car, and he quickly recognizes where he is. The backstreets, right by Leblanc. His knees wobble a little, but Ann keeps him upright. 

“Wait,” he says, voice entirely rough and watery. “No.”

“Just put some trust in us for a minute,” Ann tells him, guiding him into Leblanc. “I promise it’s okay.”

“No.”

“It’s okay,” she assures him. “You won’t listen to me, I already tried, just let me show you.”

Goro takes a breath and presses close to Ann as they step inside with the rest of the thieves. After everything, he has to trust them. He’s not in a state to fight back anyway. 

Sojiro stands behind the counter, wiping it down. He doesn’t look up, although it’s clear he knows they came in, and is probably aware Goro is with them. 

“You’re back later than I thought,” he comments. “Welcome, Detective. It’s been a while. I have coffees for everyone.“

Goro counts the mugs, and sees one too many. 

One left for the leader he killed. 

He picks up his own mug with shaky hands, the stuff that Akira always made for him. It doesn’t taste quite the same. It should taste better, since more skilled hands made it. But it doesn’t, the taste sticks to the back of his throat and he feels sick. 

Ann rubs a hand over his back as he sits and drinks. He does drink it anyway, because he’s hoping if he believes it hard enough, Akira will appear and shoo Sojiro away. Make him a new cup of coffee, fix them curry. Sit down, discuss a next course of action, end up getting distracted and argue with Makoto over school. 

Everyone is quiet. Akira doesn’t come bounding down the stairs to greet them. 

Of course he doesn’t. Akira is dead. That’s his fault. 

“Alright, better now?” Ann asks him.

“Yeah, as better as I can be.”

It’s mostly the truth. He doesn’t say that his chest feels empty, like he cried away everything he had in him. He doesn’t tell her how much it all hurts, or how much he wishes he could be numb again. 

She coaxes him off the stool he’s sitting on and starts to bring him towards the stairs.

“Not that better,” he insists. “No, I can’t do that.”

“Trust me.”

The power and certainty in Ann’s voice gives him pause. It wouldn’t be fair if he gave them so much trouble just to refuse to trust them now. So he lets them bring him upstairs. 

Even though it’ll hurt to see it all, he does want to see the things Akira left behind. He should see it, should see in real time what he’s done. He wants to see the half finished lock picks, his journal, his bag. Goro destroyed the last remnants of Akira that were left in his mind, so this little spot in the attic is all that exists now. Whatever is left, Goro wants to see it. 

But as he hits the final step and looks immediately to the right as he always would, he finds himself actually making eye contact with Akira. He’s hallucinating, he’s gone crazy. The change of heart is actually going to kill him somehow. 

“Uh guys?” Akira laughs nervously. “What’s happening?” 

Goro falls immediately to his knees and presses his forehead to the floor. Ann lets him go, and he feels like he can’t breathe for a long time. 

Akira is alive. This has to be real. That’s his voice, his laugh. He’s alive and he’s right here. He was sitting at his desk, tinkering with something or other, just as he always would. Living, alive. 

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I just...I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I know that doesn’t fix anything, but I’m so sorry.”

Goro’s tears have come back with a vengeance, and he’s already decided he hates feeling everything so intensely. He wants the empty feeling to come back. 

“I know you had to.” That’s Akira’s voice, the real Akira. “I can’t hate you for trying to do exactly what I knew you would. I’m alright.”

This is the real Akira, because if Goro were imagining him, he wouldn’t give him any semblance of forgiveness. 

Goro doesn’t deserve it, he doesn’t deserve to know he failed. He shouldn’t get to see Akira’s face again, not after he could look him in the eyes and kill him. Could talk to him like that, could throw his life away like it meant so little. 

But he wants it anyway. 

He lifts his head, to see Akira staring right at him. His eyes are worried, and open. Alive. He’s really alive.

There’s no bullet wound through his head, and the small bruise on his face looks like it’s old by now. Healing.

And Akira just sighs and wraps his arms around Goro.

Which Goro would never deserve in a million years of good deeds. He wants to remind them all of that, that he killed people and he’s a monster and they should be treating him like one. 

But Goro still leans into it and trembles, letting himself feel Akira’s warmth for himself. He’s alive, and he’s right here, and he doesn’t hate Goro. He’s alive, his heart is beating somewhere close to his ear. 

“Akira.”

Makoto’s voice cuts through the silence sharply. 

Akira’s arms tighten around him, and he shifts. He doesn’t let go. 

“Yeah?”

“You know you have a palace, right?”

This is news to Goro. He tries to pull back, but Akira doesn’t let go. He’s stuck with his face against Akira's shoulder, and all he can do is listen. 

“I figured. Goro had one too didn’t he?”

Goro doesn’t think about how familiar Akira is still being with him. Even more so than before he…

He doesn’t deserve this. Not even a morsel of this. But it still makes him so happy to have. 

“Yes. We just stole his heart today.”

“That’s what I assumed. I didn’t think you would bring him here otherwise. And you went to his palace first because you think you’ll need him for mine.”

“Yes, basically.”

“I’m not going to stop you,” Akira says. “I don’t particularly want a palace either, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I trust you all to get it done.”

Goro had no idea Akira had a palace. He didn’t realize someone so pure hearted and intentioned could develop a palace. He should’ve known, though. 

The Phantom Thieves wouldn’t have bothered with him otherwise. 

Frankly, he doesn’t care how. This is just an opportunity for him to start making it up to everyone. He’s sure he’ll be doing that the rest of his life. If he ever wants to truly be forgiven for the wrongs he committed. 

He feels slightly more worthy of it knowing he didn’t kill Akira.

Akira is alive, breathing, and it’s Goro’s turn to save him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for Act 1, everybody! Thank you to everyone who's come along on the journey so far, but I can assure you all there's a lot more still to come. I've finished the end of this fic, which will have 25 chapters, but I have further plans to continue on with Shido's palace to the end of the game with Goro! As we get closer to then, I'll ask your input on certain things, but just be excited about it for now it's a doozy ;)


	9. Act 2, Scene 1: Three of Spades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three of Swords(Spades). The urge to look over one’s shoulder is a sign of mistrust. Difficult times are ahead. The card may be a warning about the stab in the back, the loss of love. The hornet is a sign of sexuality and fertility. It’s honeycomb, a hexagon, is the symbol of the heart. Guard it close. Life may be blooming now but autumn is coming and the birds are circling in a predatory manner.   
> Inevitable heartbreak.

“And you’re sure?” Goro asks, for the millionth time. 

The planning they’ve done, the supplies they’ve gathered, the brief training they were able to get off in Mementos. All of it is only serving to delay something inevitable. Going into something like this without being really prepared, because nothing can prepare them all for going in as a full team without a leader. 

Goro has no idea how they pulled it off in his palace, and he doesn’t want to know how much worse it will get when it comes to Akira. Goro has spent nights sitting with Akira and trying to convince him to come with them, if only to stay back and give them all orders. He doesn’t see it, how well he’s able to analyze and act accordingly. How the rest of them follow him without a word, without fail. But Akira is extremely set on staying back. He’s refused every time Goro has brought it up. He’s sure this will be no different. 

“I’m sure,” Akira says, sitting up on his bed. “I’ll only slow you down anyway.”

Goro holds his tongue, even though he wants to beg Akira to come with them. Goro hasn’t really been with everyone without Akira yet, not since everything that’s happened. That’s the least of his reasoning. 

“Okay. Any ideas on your palace?” Goro tries, leaning towards Akira from his spot on the couch.

He wants to be as close as possible, but tries to pass it off as wanting to hear properly. Every once in a while he has to watch to make sure Akira is still breathing, that he’s warm, and that this is all real. He sees Akira’s shoulders rise and fall with a breath, and he feels better. 

“Probably some distortion about...I don’t know how I act with people. Masks. I’ve had a few weird dreams about acting? I’m not sure though. Goro and I have talked about it a little bit, but haven’t made a lot of headway.”

“Kurusu Akira,” Makoto speaks up first. 

Goro doesn’t need to look there to know it’s a hit. 

“I haven’t been able to summon a persona in...months,” Akira murmurs. “Since Sae’s palace. I also feel sick almost, a little more stressed and such. Clearly everything is catching up to me. Goro and I tried it the other night too. I knew, it’s alright.”

Goro has to admire Akira here, even in weakness. He’s still remaining so level headed, so strong. He’s still being a leader, still helping and guiding them all even though he’s the one who needs saving. Goro could never do that. Even now, it feels like everything is falling apart. Still, it’s more than likely that he’ll have to lead them all in the palace, in Akira’s absence. It’s terrified him since he learned about the existence of Akira’s palace in the first place. 

“Akira, how deep does your distortion run, do you think?” Goro can’t help but turn to him for an idea. “Just so we know how to scale any suggestions.”

“Deep.” Akira looks away and sighs. “I don’t know. It’s like it creeped up on me all at once and it’s invaded everything. It has to be broad. We’ve already tried a few things. Either we aren’t specific enough, or we haven’t gotten broad enough.”

“Something even more specific maybe? Like multiple places, like all of the schools or something. I don’t know...” Goro trails off, but doesn’t hear Makoto confirm anything. “I don’t know. Akira I know you’re unsure of the distortion, but do you feel it all the time?”

“I’d say so, it seems constant to me. I don’t think there’s anywhere I could escape it.”

“The world, then,” Yusuke says before Goro can. 

“It’s a hit.” Makoto shifts in her seat. “Oh boy. Okay.”

That’s as broad as it really gets. Goro wonders how it’ll translate, if it means the palace will be huge, or what it’ll affect within it. 

“Oh.” Akira’s eyes light up, but more in a realization way than a happy way. “A stage. All the world’s a stage.”

“Yeah, that would be it,” Makoto murmurs. 

Goro shifts uncomfortably and looks to Akira.

“You’ll be fine,” Akira says, and Goro knows it’s not just for him but wants to pretend it is. “You can all do this, I can’t be that bad. Just be careful, and rely on Goro. He’s a wildcard too, as we’ve learned, I’m sure he can be as versatile as me.”

“Don’t say that,” Goro complains. “You’re raising their expectations way too high.”

“No way,” Akira argues quickly. “I’m sure you can meet those expectations easily.”

Goro ducks his head and can’t argue. Because if Akira says another nice thing about him, he’ll just burst into flames. It feels nice, though, to have such trust put into him for something so important. 

“Let’s get going then.”

“Good luck!” Akira calls, even as the world around them distorts into the Metaverse. 

And they arrive in the most vast palace Goro has ever been in. It seems like there’s a crowd that stretches on forever, but not too far away is a stage. Goro soon notices he’s already in his Metaverse gear, even though the crowd seems like faceless decoration and he can’t really see any shadows. 

“Welcome to the show,” one of the faceless figures says. “Do you have VIP passes?”

“No?” Goro answers, slightly unsure. “Do we need them?”

“Oh not at all! We all have tickets to Joker’s show, but there are those few VIPs that get some special treatment to the final act. Don’t worry, he’ll still show you around.”

And Goro doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t for Akira’s shadow to appear before them immediately. Masks flicker over his face quickly before settling on something with a smile. He’s wearing his school uniform...with red gloves, and an overcoat, and dirty sneakers. It’s like he’s just a clumped together blob of every version of Akira that Goro’s ever seen and more. 

He can’t quite see, but he’s sure behind that mask is yellow eyes. Akira wouldn’t have come into the Metaverse after them, and even if he had, he wouldn’t appear like this. 

He’s surprised to see the palace leader so early on, but then again not really. Akira knew they were coming, so that may have influenced it. That may also mean that other cognitions could change, that maybe they’ll be helped rather than stopped. Although from what Goro heard about Futaba’s palace, he kind of doubts that. 

“Hello! I’m Joker, this is my show. You can take a seat anywhere you’d like! If you have VIP passes of course though you have access to the final show.”

His voice is shy of monotone, because the fake enthusiasm leaks into some sentences, seemingly arbitrarily. It’s Akira’s voice, but it’s not right. There’s none of the usual sass, nor of the sweetness Goro is so fond of. It isn’t quite alive, it isn’t quite Akira. 

“We don’t have passes,” Goro tells him.

And this Joker just bows and disappears.

Goro is slightly startled when Futaba speaks from right next to him and not directly in his earpiece.

“This palace is pretty small,” she says, goggles over her eyes. “There’s no depth to it, it’s just this. It stretches for miles, but I don’t see any shadows and I don’t know where the treasure is either. I’m a little...worried, I guess—“

Joker appears again. No mask, and Goro notes he can’t even see his eyes. He’s wearing glasses, and he can’t see through them. 

Futaba steps back, and Goro steps in front of her. 

But Joker just goes around him, and wraps his arms around her. 

The tension in the air loosens, and Goro feels some relief himself that at the very least he didn’t attack any of them. It’s still unsettling. 

But the lack of hostility is good, it means this might not end too badly. 

“Futaba don’t worry, everything will be just fine. I’m here, you don’t have to worry. You’re not in danger at all. It’s okay!”

“Thanks.” Futaba smiles at him. “Just miss us going out, being able to fight together, you making me coffee and such. That’s why we’re here. I know you aren’t him, so I shouldn’t be telling you this, but. I don’t know, I just miss you.”

“But I’m here, you don’t have to worry.”

“In the real world, Joker.” She shakes her head. 

“Futaba don’t worry, everything will be just fine. I’m here.”

Futaba’s calm expression melts into something worried and panicky.

“Say something else for me. Something other than what you’ve already said. Tell me this isn’t what I think it is, tell me this isn’t how you actually feel.”

“You don’t have to worry—“

Futaba pulls away from him, stepping back a few paces.

For just a moment, Goro sees the yellow through the glasses. But when Joker reaches up to adjust them, they go back to normal.

“Joker,” she says. “What’s going on?”

“Is this mask not to your liking Futaba?” Joker’s face morphs into genuine worry. “Should I take off the big brother mask? What would you prefer?”

“You’re not him,” Futaba says, trembling. 

Ann quickly grabs onto her, but after a second of watching Goro realizes she’s being held back. She’s shaking in restrained anger. 

“You’re empty,” she spits. 

“I have dozens of masks,” Joker dismisses. “Just tell me what you would prefer and I’ll do it.”

Futaba turns away and Goro watches her knuckles turn white. 

He observes everything quietly. He feels like this isn’t something he has a say in anyway. 

“Go away,” Makoto says sharply. “We don’t need you here.”

“Makoto, what’s wrong?” Joker’s full attention has turned on her. 

Goro steps forward, a physical barrier. He can feel their frustration already, and Futaba and Makoto are seething. He can understand how they feel, but he doesn’t want them to get violent. He doesn’t want to aggravate the palace leader. 

“Joker, shouldn’t you get ready for your show?” he offers softly. “We want it to be the best it can be, really. We don’t mind being left alone. You can go do whatever you need to do.”

“Oh?” Joker’s head tilts to the side and he smirks at Goro. “Detective, you haven’t figured it out? You must be getting rusty. This  _ is  _ the show.”

Goro has to take an actual step back, startled that much from it. The people pleasing Joker now has this edge of sharpness to him, and Goro sees the yellow under his glasses for just a fraction of a second. 

This is it? All of this? 

“Joker, maybe you can explain this to me then, because it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Hm?”

“You’re not aggressive, there aren’t any shadows, the stage is empty. This place is huge but Oracle can’t even locate the treasure. There’s nothing here—“

“I see, Detective. I didn’t realize.” Joker is nodding now, understanding gracing his features. “I get it, you want a mystery to solve. That adventure, puzzles, bloodshed, final boss, time limit. A  _ palace _ .”

“Well, that’s just—“

It’s too late. Joker’s face is still so blank, but it’s clear something has changed in him. But he smiles so widely at them, outstretching his hands. 

Goro knows he’s made a mistake. 

“I understand. I have an offer, then.”

Joker’s clothes change, from the muddled mess it was before to a dark jester’s costume. His Metaverse outfit shines through in spots, in red gloves, in the overcoat he’s kept. And yet he’s surrounded by masks and cards, and the smile on his face is not like one Goro has ever seen before.

Dressed the part of The Fool. 

“What’s the offer?” Goro asks, already regretting it.

“You steal my heart, by the end of the month. A deadline for you all, just like always.”

“Or what?”

“Or I kill myself here, and your Akira dies in the real world.”

Goro’s heart stops. For a second, it’s like the world has been frozen and he’s standing here staring into yellow eyes. 

And then he watches it come crashing down as the rest of the thieves start to argue, to no avail. 

“No,” he says.

“It’s not really a choice.” Joker laughs manically. “I think you miscalculated, Detective. Intruders!”

Dozens of shadows appear around them, blazing red. It really isn’t a choice.

“We have to retreat,” he says, because they do. 

Joker knows it too, judging by the smug look on his face. 

The next moment, they’re on their way back to the real world.

When the dizziness fades, Goro is half collapsed on the floor in Akira’s room. 

“Welcome back, how did it go?”

Goro sits up, heart in his throat. His eyes burn a little bit, and guilt floods him. 

“I...”

He can’t say it. He antagonized the leader of the palace and now he’s put Akira’s life in danger. Just as he tried to warn Futaba against doing so, he messed everything up by needing an answer. He could’ve done so many other things, said anything else. Maybe they could’ve just asked him for the treasure and walked out without another word. 

If they can’t meet the deadline, Goro’s still going to be the reason Akira dies.

After everything.

“Nice going Akechi,” Makoto mutters. “Now things are difficult.”

“Not the worst circumstances we’ve been under?” Ann offers, but it’s weak and unsure.

“Yeah, yeah it’s fucking is,” Ryuji argues. “Who the hell cares about reputation, expulsion, that ridiculous shit? This is life or death man!”

“So it didn’t go well?” Akira prompts. 

Goro crosses his arms around his stomach and curls into himself. He feels sick. He feels like he might actually be sick, or like he’ll start crying, or like he’ll just lay down here and die. It hurts more than his change of heart did. 

It hurts more when Akira is kneeling next to him, hand on his back. Understanding, despite the fact that Goro doomed him. 

“Really bad then?”

“A month,” Goro manages. “We have a month, or you die.”

Akira sighs, quiet for a moment. His hand doesn’t go still on Goro’s back, continuing rubbing back and forth.

“Well,” he says eventually. “A month is a while. I think you can do it, pretty easily.”

“You don’t get it,” Goro argues. “It’s my fault. I said some shit and made everything worse for all of us. It’s my fault you’re in danger, again.”

“Well why did you say what you did?”

“Because I was confused and we didn’t know where the treasure was and—“

“Then do you think maybe that’s how things were planned to happen?” Akira interrupts him before he spirals. “If even Futaba couldn’t locate the treasure, I don’t think even a shadow version of me wouldn’t know you well enough to know you’d ask questions and get frustrated with so little information.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t blame you,” Akira says firmly. “Even if things don’t work out, although I know they will, if somehow they don’t I won’t blame you. I want you to know that now.”

“You should.”

“Yeah I definitely should, but I’m all about breaking out of norms or whatever.” Akira cracks a smile, somehow. “I’m not mad at all. I  _ know  _ you can do this.”

Goro leans into Akira’s touch, the pain in his chest fading with the very words. He doesn’t know if he can do this, but he knows he has to. He has to, for Akira. 

There just isn’t another choice here. 

“You have way too much faith in me.”

“You have way too little in yourself.” Akira squeezes his shoulder before pulling away entirely. “Alright, then. I have supplies for you all, and I have some plans I want to go over with everyone.”

Akira, still acting like a leader despite what he just heard. And after what Goro saw, it isn’t quite as admirable as it is just worrying. 

In the end, none of them tell Akira about what really happened there. They don’t tell him exactly what Goro did, don’t tell him how hopeless it seemed as they were forced to retreat. 

Goro thinks, in some capacity, he already knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Act 2, START!   
> Y’all aren’t even ready for this one.  
> So as I’m writing the intermission pieces I’m wondering if Akira/Goro is the only ship you’d want to see 🤔 I am open to any and all suggestions except for anything with Morgana please hes a cat and will remain a cat and a minor character


	10. Act 2, Scene 2: King of Spades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King of Swords(Spades). Like the pheasant you have the ability to reach ever-increasing heights in your understanding of the world around you. Wings spread wide show your authority and presence. Your colors are of royalty, drawing others to you. With a firm foot anchored to the earth you are reminded to stay objective in your decision-making. The brittle, dry environment represents the difficult decisions you have had to make to gain this position. You lead the way through areas where others have failed.   
> Acceptance of truth, bold power. A combative nature that hides the peace of knowledge. The pain of knowing against the progress of processing it.

Ryuji drops down into the lower level of the stage, an opening having appeared since their first entrance of the palace. It’s a familiar motion he got way too used to in Akechi’s palace. He can only hope it isn’t nearly as exhausting as that was, but he has a sinking feeling it’ll be pretty bad. Probably worse. There’s a reason they did Akechi’s first, after all. 

“Skull,” Akechi says. “Stay close, won’t you? I want you, Queen, and Noir with me if we run into trouble. Oracle, status?”

“Um. Well, it’s big on the surface but there’s not much here. There’s levels going down, like Crow’s palace. The very bottom one has the treasure. There’s a heavily guarded door down there...” Futaba takes a pause and then sighs. “Well. We need VIP passes to enter, it seems.”

“We’ll just steal one,” Ryuji says. “Same as always, best up shadows until one of them has what we need.”

“I don’t know if that’ll work, exactly. We need to be more careful than that,” she says slowly. “We all need our own, and we can’t really risk leaving people behind. We’d have to beat up every shadow we came across, and that’s not a good course of action. We need to find out which shadows have the passes first.”

“Understood, thank you Oracle,” Akechi agrees with her immediately. “Skull, I want you right by me.”

Ryuji feels some pride as he steps closer to the front of the group. It’s been a while since he’s been in the starting lineup, and he’s never really questioned it. He’s trusted Akira entirely with those kinds of decisions, but it’s still nice to be valued enough to be front and center. In Sae’s palace he had gotten used to standing in the backlines. Akira kept Akechi in the lineup, alongside Makoto and Haru. Even before that, Ryuji was more useful when he was backup, buffing the team and letting other, harder hitters, attack. 

It’s nice to be like this again. 

The level is...red. Red and black mostly, and it’s really disorganized and chaotic. It reminds him of Mementos, but just a little off. A little more ominous than he would normally see it, dark and foreboding. Bones jut out of the walls and the floor, and after a moment, Morgana turns into the Mona bus. They ride through the winding tunnels in relative silence for a long time. They encounter almost no shadows. It’s eerily quiet. 

“So, this is Joker’s cognition of Mementos, right?” Akechi asks, although it seems mostly to himself. 

“Probably. It’s pretty stifling, isn’t it?” Yusuke looks around. “It’s odd how the mind perceives reality. It’s fairly close, it’s just...off.”

Ryuji is inclined to agree. Even the air feels just a little different. 

They finally reach something new, a door with a deadbolt set over it. Akechi is quick to step out, one of the keys Akira made clutched in his hand. He unlocks it for them, and before he can even step back inside the Mona bus, shadows start approaching. Ryuji steps out immediately, pulling his bat up over his shoulder and falling in line alongside Akechi. 

“First real fight, huh?” Akechi turns to him. “Alright, Queen, Noir, I’d like you up here too.”

Makoto and Haru are at their sides in a moment, which only surprises him a little. It’s true though, that Akechi commands as surely as Akira does. It’s hard not to listen. 

The shadows are Fuu-ki, Sui-ki, and Kin-ki. Pretty low levels at this point, which Ryuji finds a little odd considering the hostile atmosphere that pretty much surrounds the whole place. 

He wonders if Akechi just knew, off the top of his head, that he’s brought the three perfect party members on for this fight. Ryuji shocks Fuu-ki, easily knocking it down. He passes it off to Makoto so she can hit the Sui-ki with a nuclear blast, which easily knocks that one down. She hands it over to Haru for the final hit, a psychic move against the Kin-ki. 

Akechi just laughs quietly, moving with just a moment of hesitation before the rest of them go into the All Out Attack with him. Not once did he call out a real order, but the looks, and the body language had them all fall into place accordingly anyway. 

“Wow, wonderful work Detective! That was a great fight, everyone!” 

Akira, well...this isn’t Akira. This dark jester, this Joker, he’s not quite right. He steps out of the shadows behind the door and just laughs openly when Akechi levels his gun at him. 

“Now, there’s no need for that. I think we should all calm down here. I’m only warning you that you shouldn’t go any further.” 

“You know you’re infuriating? Why not?”

Joker adjusts his gloves, looking away for a moment. But then he smiles again, turning back and stepping towards them. 

“Haven’t you learned your lesson? Well, it’s to be expected. My Detective never lets his questions go unasked, I suppose. You must be frustrated I’m not handing the answers to you. Doesn’t it feel awful, not being in control for once? Well you should just trust me here, give up already. You’ll never save me.”

“Well that’s just too bad, because you’re not going to stop me.”

“Go on then. Get yourself killed, see what it accomplishes.”

Akechi walks directly past Joker and into the next room. 

“Crow wait up!” Ryuji complains, moving around Joker to follow him. “You shouldn’t go anywhere alone in this place!”

He’s glad he follows, because he immediately comes face to face with another shadow. Actually the entire level is crawling with them. All strong, judging by the power that permeates the air so thickly Ryuji feels like he could choke on it. 

“What should we do?” he asks, turning to Akechi. 

“I’d say we should sneak past but…”   
Joker has come to stand beside them, looking over the sea of powerful shadows. 

“That door won’t open until you defeat all of them,” he explains cheerily. “It’s Futaba proof and everything. Well, good luck!” 

Ryuji watches Akechi’s eyes flick around the scene as the rest of the Thieves catch up. He seems to be analyzing the scene as he sees it, murmuring quietly to himself, although Ryuji can’t catch most of the words. 

“Okay,” he says finally. “We’ll be doing a lot of switching up, I’m sure. We need to find the weaknesses and down them as fast as possible. Our best bet is to outlast them. If what it takes is burning through all our supplies, we’ll get to a safe room after and return. But we have to do this, there can’t be any sneaking around.”

“Heard,” Ryuji says. “Who’s starting lineup?”

“The same. Skull, Queen, Noir. Skull and Fox will be interchangeable, Queen and Panther will be, and I’d rather not take Noir out unless absolutely necessary. I’d sooner put Mona in for Queen than swap her out.”

With that, they start burning through the shadows. 

Usually, at least one of them will know the weakness off the top of their heads, and they can get through it fairly quickly. But as quickly as they’re killing the shadows, they’re still getting hit hard. They start burning through supplies way too fast, and the exhaustion starts to seep through into all of them. They seem to swap out every fight, Haru barely staying on her two feet as Akechi refuses to take her out. Most of their supplies go towards keeping her upright. But they do it, supplemented by whatever Akechi hands them to take at any given moment. 

As they finish off a particularly troubling Moloch, the door at the end of the room...doesn’t open. Joker appears again, the mask slightly obscuring his face reading as blank. 

“Well, this is too bad. I didn’t want you guys to get hurt, really.” Joker swipes his hand over his mask, and on the other side it’s turned into something probably a little crazed, and a lot cold. “But it can’t be helped now! I tried to warn you all, but you wouldn’t listen. That isn’t my fault. If you die here, I can’t be faulted.”

“What does that mean?” Akechi presses. “Whatever it is, I assure you we’re ready for it.”

“Don’t be so sure of yourself,  _ Leader _ . Confidence gets you nowhere. It only leads you to underestimate things that’ll get you all killed. If I was confident in my trust in you, I would’ve been killed for real back then.” Joker shakes his head, moving his mask entirely over his face. “It’s fine, we can all die here and now. You’ll die and I’ll join you shortly. Doesn’t that sound just wonderful?”

Ryuji steps up with Akechi and waits for orders as patiently as he feels he can. His body is buzzing with restrained anger, mostly at himself. He didn’t know Akira was hurting this deeply, in this way. This is the last place he wants to come to terms with that, see that. 

He wants to be in the real world, comforting the real Akira. 

“Joker, what are you talking about?” Ryuji asks, hoping even if Akechi can’t get an answer, maybe he can. 

“You don’t stand a chance.” Joker steps back. “I’ll be waiting in the next room until the end of the month, but I have no faith you’ll make it. Goodbye.”

With that, Joker is gone. And the sound of chains rattling fills the room. 

“We should run,” Ryuji says immediately. “We have to go.”

“It’s the Reaper?” Makoto looks around. “That doesn’t make sense, we haven’t been here that long.”

“We can’t run,” Akechi says firmly. “We have to fight.”

“That monster has every type of move known to man. He can down us all in one hit if he wants to.”

“So could Akira in my palace, so what? It doesn’t change the fact that if this is what we have to do to progress, we have to do it. Unless you  _ want  _ Akira to die. There’s no other way.”

Ryuji’s legs are kind of shaking. He feels a little cowardly, shrinking away at first. They’re strong. He’s sure they can pull it off, any means necessary. They have to. 

The Reaper comes at them from behind, which Makoto comments is for the better. They just have to survive this first turn, and then he’ll only attack once. That is to say, if they survive the first turn. 

Because whatever hits Ryuji brings him immediately down for the count. Things move fast. They hit hard, the Reaper hits harder. They don’t have a lot of supplies left after all that, and he tries not to think about it.

Ryuji focuses a lot on buffing, making his hits harder, more effective. Ann and Futaba are working overtime, raising their defense and evasion just to keep them alive turn to turn. Makoto is focused a lot on healing, and in the end it’s Akechi who’s doing the most damage. Seemingly resistant or just shaking off the skills that keep downing the rest of them, he’s staying fairly steady on his own two feet. And every time the Reaper skips a turn to concentrate, they scramble to prepare for the Megidolaon move that they know is coming. Most of the time it’ll down a good amount of them, leaving them swapping people out and trying to treat the severest of injuries. 

It feels like the fight lasts forever, and somewhere near the end Ryuji doesn’t have a single ounce of energy left to give, and Yusuke subs in for him for the rest of the fight while he rests. He can’t even move. He has to break into the thermos of coffee Akira made for him, and even then he still feels slightly sick. 

He doesn’t even know how they do it. They call out the moves to each other, they work together, they focus on keeping the Reaper’s damage as reduced as possible, and buffing their own. Futaba is a big help, one move that almost kills them all immediately she intervenes and blocks it for them. It probably saves them all. It’s probably the only reason they live. 

And they do it. They all sit on the floor at the end of it, passing around the last of their supplies and rationing it as best as they can. Akechi seems relatively okay, he drinks his own coffee quietly in the corner. 

The door is open now, and once they seem recovered enough, Akechi comments that they should at least look into it. 

And past it, there’s a second room. But it isn’t quite Mementos. The reds have been replaced with yellow. It’s just as disorganized, but it isn’t Mementos, not at all. 

There’s food stalls around, TV set ups, couches, and a track that runs around the circumference of the room. The color theme, yellow and black. 

With all of that, even Ryuji can easily see this has a distinctly him theme to it. He isn’t sure why, but he can only assume this is where they’ll find a VIP pass. 

“Ryuji Sakamoto, codename Skull.” 

Ryuji jumps about a foot in the air, backing up until he runs right into Akechi. 

Joker stands just off to the side, head tilted to the side. He’s still in that get up, and at the very top of his entourage of masks is that one with the big smile on it. Waiting, just like he said he would. 

“Ah so you did get past him. Well, that’s all the better I suppose. Lots more to see!” He shrugs. “Let’s move on, shall we?”

“What the hell?” Ryuji mutters. 

“One of my best friends,” Joker says. “He was with me when I first discovered the Metaverse. He’s been by my side ever since. He’s an amazing fighter and friend, and one of the strongest people I know. I can’t stand to see him hurt. I like taking him out to run, or have ramen, or play video games. I really admire him, and spending time with him makes my life just a little brighter.”

Ryuji honestly feels a little weird hearing all of that. It feels like eavesdropping, hearing something he shouldn’t because it’s not really coming from Akira. Of course it makes him happy to know those things, of course it makes his chest tight to have his best friend say that. 

But it feels like he shouldn’t have heard it. It’s too private. 

It only makes his guilt worse, that he didn’t see any of this earlier. 

“Why are you telling us all of this?” Akechi asks the question they’re all thinking.

“Just part of the show,” Joker dismisses. “If you were looking for him, he’s bound to be around here somewhere. He’s always here.”

“Uh, Joker?”

And even though Ryuji can’t see his eyes, he can feel how intensely the gaze switches to him.

“Ryu.” A smile spreads across his face, as genuine as it gets. “What’s up?”

It feels so wrong Ryuji’s chest rattles. He knows this isn’t Akira, and he really has to tell himself often. It sounds just like him, every inflection and every micro movement is just right. It is part of Akira, but...it’s not really him. He just doesn’t feel quite right. There isn’t quite the right amount of life in there. That hurts, that Akira sees him so otherwise accurately.

“I just...I don’t know.”

“It’s alright, I got this,” he jokes. “Don’t worry. Wanna hang out?”

And it is sentences that make mostly sense together and relate slightly to what Ryuji says. They’re strung together in just the right way. But it also doesn’t fit together quite right, and he knows it’s just a broken record that’ll play no matter what he says. 

Still.

He wants to ask, even if it’s not real. 

“Do you really think all that stuff about me?” he asks.

“Yeah! You’re one of my best friends.”

That’s pretty much what Ryuji was expecting. He doesn’t want to sit here and listen to this. 

“Is that all? I should go make sure the next room is prepared for you all. Not to worry, there’s a safe room after this!”

“Thanks, Joker. You gave us a lot of important information.”

Joker, seemingly satisfied with that, nods and disappears. 

Ryuji is tired, not in the way that really affects him at all. Not like his body aches, like he wants to lay down. Like he wants to just give this up and stop. 

He just doesn’t want this anymore, he’s really sick of seeing the inside of his friend spilled out on display for all of them to gawk at. It doesn’t feel right to him, even if Akira knows and is okay and encouraging of them doing it. 

Still, Ryuji’s determination to help Akira out of this hole he dug himself into far outweighs that discomfort. He lifts his head. 

The last thing he wants to do is find and meet Akira’s cognition of him, and hear all the things he has to say. But he still goes out looking for himself, through the food stalls and mini arcades and peeking around all the furniture.

After a minute or so, he sees blond hair poking out from one of the couches.

He walks over, collapsing on the couch beside the cognition.

“Want some noodles?” The cognition holds a bowl out to him.

“I’m good. What I really want is your VIP pass. I’m sure you have one, right?”

He’s met with a blank stare, then a slow nod.

“I’m not giving it to you, though.”

“You don’t want to help Akira, then?”

“Why? He doesn’t want our help.” He leans in with a bitter grin. “He keeps us on the back lines. He thinks we’re useless. I don’t give a shit about him, and you certainly shouldn’t either.”

“That’s not true,” Ryuji argues, as calm as he can be.

“Don’t waste your breath. You don’t have to pretend, we both know that we only stick around him because of the Phantom Thieves. But you have Akechi now! He can be just as good of a leader, if not better! Not to mention, he’s not our only friend finally, we’ve got Ann and Yusuke and Makoto. Futaba and Haru are new but whatever. You don’t  _ need  _ him anymore.”

The stark difference between how highly Akira talks about him even in his mind and how dispensable he thinks he is in return hurts. Still, he has something he needs and this cognition has it. 

Ryuji’s fingers twitch around his bat, and he has to take deep breaths to stop himself from bringing it back and swinging it at the cognition’s head.

Akira taught him to breathe before acting, to channel that anger rather than letting it consume him.

It would be a shame to waste such a valuable skill on something so stupid. 

“That’s about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” he says, because it is. “Akira’s my best fucking friend, hands down. Sorry Ann, I love you, but listen Akira got me out of the worst place I’ve ever been in. I don’t care about the Metaverse, I’d give this shit up a million times over for him. Just to prove that to him.”

“Speak for yourself,” the cognition scoffs.

“Shut the fuck up dude. I don’t know why Akira seems to think we all hate him, that we’re all using him. I know...I know I’m not always the best, and I’ve definitely done some stuff to make him think that. I really messed up, and I know that now. But I’m going to prove to him over and over that it isn’t the truth, I’ll make it up to him. What’ll it take for you to give me that damn VIP pass?”

The cognition scratches his neck. Ryuji can’t help but notice that Akira notices that he does that when he’s nervous. The smallest detail feels so big, because of the implications behind it. The idea that Akira notices such small things about him, but not how much Ryuji cares about him. Maybe he chooses to ignore that. 

“Race me for it.”

“Deal. One lap around?”

“Deal.” 

Ryuji shakes hands with himself and stands. In the Metaverse, his leg isn’t nearly as bad as in the real world. He is a little worried about Akira thinking too highly of him, and this race being impossible. He’s worried about being too tired from before to even be able to give this his all. 

But it doesn’t matter, because they need that VIP pass. So Ryuji sets himself up at the starting line and just looks ahead. Eyes on the prize. 

He faintly hears someone say go, so he goes. Good running hurts, the long strides, feeling the wind hitting your hot face so hard and fast it burns, the impact of your feet on the track. 

It’s a zone Ryuji has no problem getting into, and he hopes the fact that Akira hasn’t seen him run at his best will make this race easy for him. His lungs burn, and he’s already so tired from fighting, but he doesn’t let it stop him. Doesn’t let himself hesitate for even a moment. 

Because he has to win this. They need the pass, so Akira doesn’t feel this way anymore. So he can live, and want to live. Ryuji thinks it’s probably too late for anything he could say to help much.

He’ll tell Akira anyway, about how much he does care. He’d never trade Akira for anything, not for Akechi or some stupid thing like liking being a Phantom Thief. Not when Akira is real and tangible and matters. 

Ryuji blasts past the finish line, coming to a slow but steady stop, panting for air.

For a moment all he can do is double over, breathing in and out. His lungs burn, in that good way he really misses sometimes. He doesn’t even know if he’s won, but he’s certain that he ran with everything he had in him. 

“Skull you won!” Ann cheers right in his ear.

He gives her a weak thumbs up. He can barely breathe. 

He straightens, leaning slightly on Ann even when she mutters some sort of complaint. She doesn’t try to push him off.

“Yeah. Whatever.” The cognition presses the pass into his open hand. “I still think it’s useless to try to save him. Akechi’s got you in the front line, you can run free here, like you have it made.”

“Like that’s all I care about? I care about my friends, thanks.”

“I know, but...ugh. Just. Listen, he doesn’t want saving, don’t let him fool you. He’s going to throw everything he has at you. Don’t get all our hopes up for nothing.”

With that, his cognition disappears. Left in his place is a mask, labeled  _ Best Friend.  _

Ryuji immediately crushes it under his boot. It breaks easily, and he makes sure it’s dust before he even considers moving on. He looks down on it for a moment, vowing to do the same in real life. 

“Let’s go!” he cheers, turning to the other thieves. “That was easy, come on!”

“Yeah.” Akechi looks at him too knowingly. “Let’s continue onto that saferoom and then head back.”


	11. Act 2, Scene 3: Five of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five of Cups(Hearts). Caught in the feelings of the past can create a sinking feeling. Releasing one’s self from disappointments can be a difficult task.   
> Better times are ahead.

Ann already isn’t the biggest fan of this palace. It reminds her too much of Futaba’s, of uncovering more and more of an undeniable and upsetting truth. It wasn’t fun with a hurt girl she’d never even met before, she can’t imagine it’ll be better when it’s someone she cares about this much. When it involves her, when it involves all of them. And their month deadline has left Akechi...off. He wanted to go into the palace again the very next day, and it took all of them trying to convince him to even consider not going. And he still considered it until Akira told him not to. 

Akira has dominated his time for the past few days, presumably to keep him from rushing in. She hasn’t seen them without one another, and it seems like Akira is always ensuring that Akechi holds back, calms down, doesn’t do anything stupid. At least they’re restocked on supplies, and Akechi seems to have chilled out slightly. 

“It’s odd, how difficult things are,” Ryuji comments. “Everything feels so hostile, even though Akira  _ does  _ want us to steal his heart.”

Ann knows that too, and found it strange. In Akira’s mind, they’ve had to fight harder than they ever have before. But she doesn’t want to jinx anything, make things harder on them, or on Akira. Futaba’s palace was proof that no matter how much the user wants their heart stolen, it doesn’t make it easy. 

And Ann wants to keep Akira’s suffering to a minimum.

She isn’t too thrilled when she walks into the next level and is greeted by scenery befitting of Kamoshida’s palace. She wasn’t expecting it, but she can see why it would be what greets them. So far, Akira has only been a messy combination of everything he tries to be. It makes sense his palace would reflect that. First Mementos, now this. 

She has an idea of where this might be going for them. 

What Ann can remember of Kamoshida’s palace is the gaudy decorations, being angry, and how disgusting Kamoshida looked. It seems that Akira’s memory is a little different. 

Actually, everything is dark. Cells line the walls, and the terrain is constantly shifting, moving. It’s one large room, straightforward, although there’s a lot of shadows around and things keep changing position. Some shadows are in the cells, some are walking freely. Things are dreary. 

“Good job, everyone. Welcome back. I see you got a bit tired out from your last excursion.” Joker is waiting for them, in one of the cells to their right. “If that’s how the first level treated you, I’m not sure you can make it in time for the deadline.”

After all their work to convince Akechi taking time off would be fine. It’s like Joker  _ knows  _ which buttons are going to hurt the most to press. 

“What does that mean?” Akechi cuts in. “Things get harder than that? That was hell.”

“Keep track of time, the clock is ticking you know. I don’t think you have time to be standing here chatting me up.” Joker winks at Akechi. “You should probably run along now. My apologies, Ann, for what you’ll be seeing here.”

“What’s that supposed to--”

Before she can properly get the question out, Joker is gone. 

“We shouldn’t bother with him,” Makoto tries to reason. “We don’t know what’s the truth, what’s just a lie. What’s really him and what isn’t.”

“The point is, it’s all him. Every part of him. This is his mind, after all.” Akechi straightens. “Don’t say such ridiculous things. Let’s move on, we have a long way to go.”

Ann stays back as they sneak around the vast majority of the shadows. She leans over Akechi’s shoulder as he opens treasure chests, takes new supplies when he hands them to her. She even gets a new whip out of it. She never gets subbed into the front lines, not for any of the small fights they get into. Eventually, they approach the final door in the room. 

“Heyo!”

Ann turns to the side, unable to resist at least looking. In the cell beside them, there’s the cognition of Ryuji. He’s leaning heavily on the bars, hand raised in a wave. 

“I thought you, like, disappeared or something,” Ryuji mutters. “Why are you here?”

“Because Ann got Kamoshida’s palace, and it’s not fair! Plus, Joker took me here since you all got through the last level already.” He laughs. “Sucks he put me in this cell, but there’s really nowhere else to go. Definitely don’t want to go hang out in the next room. Or even worse, in the next next room. Ugh.”

“What does that mean?” Akechi asks. 

“You like that question a lot,” the cognition comments. “You should chill. Just keep going, don’t mind me. Good luck though, keep the girls out of your lineup!”

“What?”

But the cognition has already gone to lay down on the bed, seemingly set on ignoring them now. Akechi gives the rest of them an odd look, and Ann processes the information.

“It’s Kamoshida,” she says, coming to her conclusion quickly. “At the end of Mementos, we fought the Reaper. At the end of Kamoshida’s palace, we’ll fight him. That’s why Joker apologized to me.”

“Should I keep the girls out of the lineup? I don’t know how smart pulling Fox and Morgana in for Queen and Noir is.”

“Do whatever you think is right,” Ann assures him. “The girls are more likely to be targeted, but if it’s all boys it wouldn’t matter. He’d still attack you.”

“Understood. We’ll keep this formation for now, then.”

With that, they head into the next room. Sure enough, it seems to be the final room from before, where they faced Kamoshida so long ago. It’s just like she remembers. Except for the fact that Kamoshida isn’t sitting on the throne. Instead, Joker is sitting there, legs crossed with Kamoshida’s crown on. 

“Hey guys!” he greets cheerily. “Knew that easy room wouldn’t stop you. Are you all nice and stocked up for the fight? Does Ann like her new whip?”

“Yes…” Akechi steps forward. “Are we fighting you?”

“Well, that’s quite forward. You’re always so blunt.” Joker stands, a mask setting over his face. 

From this far away, Ann can’t tell what it is. But he’s walking towards them steadily now. 

“I asked you a yes or no question.”   
“Well, the short answer is no, not exactly. But after all, aren’t you always fighting me? In this palace, you move directly against me. And in real life too, aren’t we rivals, Detective? A Detective chasing a Phantom Thief like me...well we’re certainly fighting there aren’t we?”

Joker is close enough now to make out the mask. Confident, sure, maybe a little overly so. 

“We were those things. I’m trying to help you here, and we’re...friends now, I think. We’re something else, and I’m working with you now. For real, this time.”

“Friends? You undersell us, honey.” Joker is grinning, way too close now. “What ever happened to my welcome homes? You won’t humor me, just a moment?”

“No, I don’t have time for this. We don’t have time for this.”

“You wound me! That’s fine, you aren’t fighting Kamoshida until I say so anyway. I get to do this as long as I _ feel like. _ ” Joker laughs, tugging his gloves off and dropping them. “Get comfortable.”

“What game are you playing? What do you want?”

“The questions, my god. We’ve already been over this.” Joker pulls his mask fully on. “You don’t get answers from me, Detective.”

“Joker, is there something in particular you want?” Ann asks gently. “We really are trying to help you here. If you want something, you can say so.”

“I’m already getting what I want,” he responds. 

“What’s that?”

“My Detective’s attention is all on me right now. It’s perfect.” Joker sheds his jacket. 

He quickly wraps it around Akechi’s shoulders, only laughing at the looks he’s given. 

“If he’s stripping, I’m leaving,” Futaba says over their earpieces. 

That breaks the tension somewhat, and Ann feels her chest loosen as she lets herself laugh. For a millisecond, Ann feels like things are normal. She forgets this is Akira’s palace, because for a second there it felt like they were all back together. Like things were okay again. 

But it’s over when she opens her eyes again and sees Joker. He isn’t wearing that dark jester's getup now, he’s back in his regular Metaverse gear, like he can convince them he’s just their leader right now. But the mask is still over his face. 

Ann feels a little better, because at least he isn’t being hostile. He’s just making Akechi blush, and that’s funny enough in and of itself. 

“The jacket looks good on you,” Joker comments. “Although...well nevermind. I have one more request, then I’ll let you carry on. There’s too much more to see to stall you here forever. This one's for you, Crow.”

“What is it?”

“Say my name.”

“Joker?”

“No, my real name.”

“What, Akira?”

“That one. Say it, better.”

“Akira.” 

“Come on now, don’t sound so unsure of it. You can do it.”

“ _ Akira. _ ”

“Thank you.” Joker adjusts his mask. “I suppose I’ll be on my way now. Just had to settle my narcissist tendencies with that is all! And embarrassing Crow is always a nice bonus. Good luck, everyone. I doubt this’ll be a challenge for you all.”

With that, he’s gone. 

Ann couldn’t do much more than watch the exchange quietly, feeling like intruding would be rude. At the same time, it was...interesting to say the least. It felt like she was witnessing something she shouldn’t have, and it seems to be a shared sentiment among the rest of them.

And with that, Kamoshida appears. 

She isn’t surprised that it’s not too bad of a fight. It’s a lot like their first go around, even if he seems to take a million more hits to down than before. Still, it’s not like she can talk. She gets subbed in for Makoto once or twice, but she mostly focuses on buffing where she can. 

It works out fine, she isn’t really worried for even a second. Akechi calls out orders as steady as always and they chip away little by little until they come away having beaten him. Not a word is exchanged between the rest of them as they move on. 

She doesn’t want to talk about it, doesn’t want to think about it. She only acknowledges how satisfying it was to beat him for a second time before she pushes open the door to the next room.

She isn’t quite expecting the bright room, red and pink and not quite as familiar as the previous one. It looks like Kamoshida’s palace still, but not quite. It’s the same weird castle setup, but it’s clearly not. The colors aren’t so dark, the scenery is much cleaner and neater. It’s more comfortable, and something about it just doesn’t scream Kamoshida. Besides, she knows they already beat him. 

But then again, she surely expected this in some capacity. After what Ryuji’s cognition said, and this pattern that’s starting to form here. 

Because this is clearly Ann’s, judging by the fact that she can see a cognition of herself sitting at a desk reading a magazine. She seems relaxed, a textbook and some homework shoved the side. Her phone is flipped over, and there’s an empty plate in front of her. She doesn’t even look up when they enter. 

Ann has to hype herself up, looking around for some sort of strength. Ryuji already did it. She saw him do it, and he seemed angry, but he doesn’t seem so bad now. Really all she has to do is go over and talk to herself, even if that includes listening to all the awful things Akira feels.

Before she can gather herself to go over and talk to the cognition, a door Ann hadn’t even seen opens up.

Shiho steps through, cape hanging somewhat askew over her shoulders. She’s wearing a crown that sits comfortably atop her head. This isn’t Kamoshida’s crown, not like Akira was wearing. No, this one seems to suit her perfectly. A more delicate, intricate, beautiful thing. And her cape isn’t like Kamoshida’s at all. It’s a deeper red, not quite as big, not as flashy. She just seems...put together, like genuine royalty. She’s wearing simple clothes under the cape, lending her image to regality and royalty. 

Ann blinks. 

She doesn’t think about the fact that Shiho is still recovering even now, that she doesn’t want to stay here, that it hurts to see her best friend here. And she’s a little scared of what this means. Why Shiho is dressed like that, and what she’s doing in Akira’s palace. 

“Ann Takamaki, codename Panther.” 

Ann had forgotten about that, Joker showing up so suddenly. She puts a hand to her chest, and swallows around the lump there. She’s reminded of where they are. 

“Another original Phantom Thief, one of my best friends. She’s fierce in battle, with an extremely strong willpower although she lacks direction. Well, that’s what she believes. Ha, of course we all realize she’s only lost direction because Suzui is leaving.” 

“What—“

“She’s one of the kindest thieves, with compassion that has helped so many people,” he continues like nothing. “Including me. We helped each other out, Ryuji and I saved her and then she saved us. She means the world to me, and I know we wouldn't be who we are without her. I don’t know who the Phantom Thieves would be without her. More often than not she is able to counteract the spontaneous nature of Ryuji and me. At the same time, she’s pretty impulsive herself. She brings the group together. Of course we all realize she’ll leave with Suzui, so let’s enjoy what time we have.”

“Joker, that can’t be what you think,” she blurts, hurt.

“Hm? Suzui is your best friend,” he says. “It’s okay, Ann. I’ll be okay, you can leave. I won’t mind.”

“It’s not about us,” Ryuji says to her firmly, hand on her shoulder. “Drop it.”

“Thank you, Joker,” she chokes. “I appreciate the information.”

He smiles at her, bowing before disappearing. The hurt doesn’t fade. It just gets worse. 

She wanted to argue with him. Why did Ryuji get to make the mistake while she has to be the bigger person here?

“What does he think he rescued me from Kamoshida and now it’s the same shit, but Shiho is Queen now? What the hell?” Ann explodes, rounding on Ryuji. “He had nice stuff to say about you, but it’s like...this is bull right?”

Ryuji doesn’t say anything, because a chair scrapes and splits all their attention. The cognition of Shiho has pulled out a chair next to Ann’s and sat down.

“Ann what are you reading about?” she asks quietly.

And as Ann watches Akira’s cognition of the two of them play out, she realizes where she’s misunderstood something. He knows they’re equals, they’re close, he knows Ann cares deeply about Shiho. She considered killing someone for Shiho, she loves her so much.

She didn’t know Akira saw that as much as he clearly did. Shiho isn’t Queen of the castle as Kamoshida was King. 

She’s Queen to Ann as Ann is Knight to her. A fierce protector. 

And Akira assumes where Shiho goes, Ann will follow. She doesn’t know if he’s right yet.

“Oh,” she murmurs. “I relied on him for advice on Shiho this time and never thought about how that was making him feel.  _ I’m  _ the asshole here. I messed up.”

“That makes the two of us,” Ryuji mutters. 

Ann goes to sit next to the two cognitions, scooting her chair in until she’s comfortable.

“Okay?” she prompts. “What do you have for me? Surely you won’t just hand the VIP pass over.”

“No, I won’t. I mean it doesn’t even really matter. Akira doesn’t think we can handle ourselves, he thinks we’re still the weak girl we were when Kamoshida had us.” Her cognition closes the magazine and leans back. “That’s why he doesn’t let us fight, that’s why he humors us with Shiho. He’ll always put himself up on that high horse of our savior. That’s who he is.”

Ann tries to process the information. It’s hard to pick through what the cognitions say, to find out in the end exactly what it means about Akira. There’s things on the surface level she can see, but she knows that lurking in there somewhere are things she can’t pick up. 

“No,” she says after a while. “I don’t think that’s true, I don’t believe that’s what Akira would really think.”

“Isn’t it? What am I then?”

“You’re just his cognition of what he thinks I worry about. He’s just worried I think that way and I don’t.”

“We do,” she insists. “We do, because in the end we’re just biding time until Shiho is all better and we can go back to normal.”

“You know I’m waiting,” Shiho’s cognition says softly. 

And for a moment, Ann is looking into her eyes and she almost gives into that idea. That she will follow Shiho anywhere, that Akira is right. 

But then she finds her own truth, stumbling along. She won’t abandon the Phantom Thieves for anything. They’ve been through too much together for that. 

“That isn’t true. There’s no reason Shiho and the Phantom Thieves can’t both be in my life,” Ann says, for the very first time. “There’s no reason Shiho can’t be friends with everyone too, even if she doesn’t know them yet.”

Ann does believe that, actually. She hadn’t thought about it until now, until she was forced to. Shiho might be considering going away, but she thinks Shiho would get along really well with everyone. She genuinely thinks she would like Akira, especially. She’d probably get on with Haru, too. Maybe even Akechi. 

She thinks she should get them all together. 

“You think he actually thinks you’re strong?” The cognition stands. “How much are you willing to bet you’re wrong?”

“This is a weird proposition. But if we fight, and you win, you have to give me the VIP pass. I guarantee he sees me as stronger than I even am.” Ann stands alongside the cognition. 

“Who’s to say you won’t just throw the fight?”

“You’ll have to trust me. I’m you anyway. Let’s just have a fair fight and see who’s right.”

The fact that the cognition pauses before shaking her hand is almost proof enough for Ann as is. She isn’t sure either. 

“Ann, is it necessary to fight?”

Shiho’s voice is strong, sure. Confident. Soft spoken, and gentle, yes. But there’s a strength there that Ann is touched is in Akira’s cognition. 

“Yes,” her cognition responds. “I want to see for myself who’s right. That’ll decide whether or not I should give them the pass. Does that make sense?”

“It does.” Shiho laughs a little. “Alright, then. Just be careful.”

Ann steps back, taking the whip off her belt and gripping it firmly in her palm.

“Personas or no?”

“No personas,” Ann responds easily. “I think Akira sees us as strong without Carmen too.”

Shiho stands to the side, and looks between the two of them for a moment. Then she half smiles and throws her arm in the air.

“And...go!”

It isn’t even really a fight, in the end. They circle around each other for a while, cracking hits at each other and dodging. A few blows are exchanged, and Ann gets a good hit across her cognition’s face. They both play back and safe, and they’re both agile and good at defense. 

But in the end, the whip gets wrapped around Ann’s wrist and jerks just so she has to let go of her own weapon. She had hesitated in a movement, which was immediately exploited. Once Ann is disarmed, and banned from use of her persona, it’s not a fight.

Her cognition hesitates too, like she didn’t think what she was planning to do would work. Ann goes for her weapon then, because she did see a weakness and it wouldn’t be fair of her to ignore it.

But the whip cracks against the back of her hand and she hisses in pain. 

The cognition walks up to her and kicks her whip away. Then she offers a hand and helps Ann up. 

“I guess...I dunno it seems kinda like that’s my win,” she mutters. “That wasn’t even a fight.”

“I didn’t expect you to do that, it was clever. So Akira thinks I’m that quick thinking and strong.”

The cognition shakes her head. She hands over the pass and goes back to stand by Shiho. She seems just slightly surprised. 

“Listen, it doesn’t change that you’ll be heartbroken over Shiho if you just let her go. You’ll leave him after giving him false confidence and after caring so much about him but...” She sighs. “I know it won’t be easy. But I need you to do two things for me.”

“Shoot.”

“One, don’t just let Shiho go. Talk to her, hear every word she has to say. I know she wants a fresh start, but she can have that  _ here _ . Even if she does leave, don’t just forget about her. She’s important to you.”

“Okay.”

“Two...Listen, if you can please save him. I know he’s making it as difficult as possible, but we’re counting on you. If anyone can do it...please try.”

“I will. I promise.”

Ann waits for the cognition of her to disappear, and expects the mask left behind.  _ Savior _ . 

She has a lot of making up to do when they get back to the real world. She has to explain everything to Akira, properly, and leave none of it out. She needs to apologize too, for being so oblivious to how he felt this whole time. She has two things she’s promised to fulfill. 

At the very least she comes away knowing just how competent and strong Akira really sees her as. 

Despite that, she still cracks at the mask with her whip so it splinters in pieces on her way out.


	12. Act 2, Scene 4: Eight of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eight of Cups(Hearts). The Owl encourages us to look forward to new situations. Inspiration can be found in leaving the chaos of a current situation for a new, deeper spiritual goal elsewhere. The Owl’s solitude comes from its freedom to move on when needed.   
> Putting aside oneself to seek what's better.

Yusuke tries to take a backseat, really. He knows so far the palace has been pretty rough on everyone, especially Ann and Ryuji. They’re all doing their best to keep pushing through. Last session weighs on them all, he’s sure. Only getting through such a small section before needing to retreat. 

It’s all in all, a much more personal experience than palaces normally are. It really feels like they really are just digging around in Akira’s mind. It’s slightly unnerving, and it doesn’t feel right to do. 

Every level has a set of stairs, which blend from the previous into the next. 

And as they exit Ann’s level, the plush carpet on an intricate wooden step turns into something a little more...familiar, to him at least. When he thinks of Madarame’s palace, a lot of it is just painful. The memories hurt to pull up, like he’s picking at an already peeling off bandage. But he remembers these gold colors he’s seeing, he remembers this feeling of misplaced confidence. Akira’s memory of the place lends itself here, and it’s unsettling how accurate it all is. 

Of course, out of place sit the cognitions of Ryuji and Ann, sitting on one of the many benches nearby and talking to each other. 

Yusuke has no desire to speak to either of them, and Ryuji and Ann certainly seem to blow right past them. Akechi stops for just a moment though. 

“Is each level destroyed as we clear it?” he asks them. “Is that why you can’t stay?”

“Man, I don’t know. Joker just told us to come here, so we did. Ask him if you want to know so badly.”

“I mean, there’s no need to get Joker involved, I doubt he would have a clear answer--”

“You called? I see you’ve decided to continue.”

There’s Joker, appearing again in the dark jester’s costume. It may be scary to see someone he cares about in a state like that, it’s all rather painting worthy. He’ll have to consider it once this nightmare is over. 

“Well we’re decidedly all in pretty good shape,” Akechi comments. 

As they’ve gone through, Yusuke has picked up how Akechi sounds more and more tired. He always bites when Joker says something, anything. It would be more amusing if it didn’t keep getting them into trouble. 

Although, it seems to be exactly what Joker wants, Akechi’s attention. He said as much earlier, as well. 

“Well for now, at least. You don’t know what’s still ahead.” Joker crosses his arms. “Your confidence could be misplaced, I thought we went over that. You’re a pretty bad listener, Detective.”

Joker even barely acknowledges the rest of them, focused so entirely on Akechi outside of their own rooms. He wonders if Akechi will even have his own room, or if this is it. 

“Let’s get a move on,” Akechi says. “We don’t have time to humor him.”

“Don’t be so cold. I’m sorry, Yusuke, for making you relive this. I just wanted to tell you that.”

With that, Joker disappears. 

“Fox, will you be alright?” Ann asks him gently. 

“I’m fine,” he assures her. “I just hope we don't run into too much trouble here.”

It’s wishful thinking, taking into account what things have been like so far. Still, he can detach himself slightly from it, since he isn’t in the primary lineup. Akechi seems to avoid bringing him in for Ryuji as they fight some easy shadows wandering around. Really, as long as Yusuke doesn’t stare too long at the paintings on the walls, he’ll be fine. As long as he doesn’t think about the fact that they’ll be fighting Madarame at the end here, if things go the same as they did before. 

He just wants to get this palace over with, as interesting as it may be. He just wants to go back to Leblanc, now that Akira is talking to them all again, and have some coffee and paint or do homework or anything else. 

But he knows that they’re doing this for Akira, for a reason. 

That’s something he can’t be selfish about, not when Akira has done so much for all of them. 

“Tell me about the Madarame fight,” Akechi says as they stand outside the intricate door. “Who I should be fighting with, what moves should I be using, how the fight laid out.”

“It should go back and forth between the split painting form and his true one. Different attacks will hurt different pieces, but in the end it’s more effective to just use attacks that will damage all of them, even if you end up healing one piece. Once they’ve been whittled down enough, it’ll be better to focus on one piece at a time,” Yusuke explains. “Eventually, he might start using that move that makes someone vulnerable to all damage. Once it hits them, it’s better to wait until it wears off to treat them, unless things get too serious. I don’t know if we’ll get the chance to use it on him, but if we do I’ll take care of it. I think the lineup you have right now should work well. However, when he is in his true form, heavy hitting physical damage works really well, so you should at least keep that in mind.”

He remembers every detail of the fight. From how he felt down to every phase of it, how Akira’s strategy changed to meet the circumstances. He can remember every moment there, Akira’s orders, how everything looked, what worked best for them, what didn’t work at all. It’s something he’s always felt rather guilty over, holding onto all the information even when he knew he should just let it go. 

It feels rather silly to be using it here and now, because it’s not as if he was saving it for this. He had no idea this situation would ever come up, he just didn’t know what else to do with what he was feeling.

“I’m surprised you remember so much,” Ann says, looking up at him with a hint of confusion. “I mean it’s all sort of a blur for me. That fight was pretty rough, and it felt like at least one of us at any given time was on the ground.”

“I have a good memory, is all,” he lies, looking away. 

He doesn’t want to explain that the entire scene plays in laser sharp focus in his dreams, and sometimes it’s all he can think about. Because he doesn’t want that, he doesn’t want to be defined by his trauma so entirely. But sometimes it feels like that’s all he is, deep down.

He doesn’t want to say that, especially not right now with all of this. So he lies, too easily, to Ann. 

And she accepts it with nothing more than a smile. 

“Alright, then. We’ll see how things go, but we’re good on supplies for now. We may be able to push through one more level after this,” Akechi says. “Are we all ready?”

He gets nothing but confirmations. So they move on, into the boss room. 

Of course, before they fight, there’s Joker. 

“I’m surprised you’ve made it so far without me,” he says, standing much taller than usual. 

He’s slipped a mask on, one that looks a lot like the one from the last level. Still, Yusuke steps closer to get a better look. 

“Like the Phantom Thieves aren’t competent without you.” Akechi shakes his head. “Don’t say things like that, especially when I know you don’t mean them.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Joker dismisses. “I’m just saying, they got lucky having me as a leader. I’m sure they’ve felt my absence, considering you had to leave after one measly Reaper fight the other day.”

“That fight destroyed us, and it would’ve even if you were here.”

“I am here.”

“You know what I mean.”

Their bickering goes on and on, Yusuke can hardly be bothered to follow it. Joker knows exactly which buttons he needs to press to get the reactions he wants, and Akechi is too stressed and tired out to notice. 

But Yusuke notices. This isn’t right. 

“Joker, that isn’t even the right eye color,” Yusuke interjects. 

“What?”

“Akira’s eyes are dark  _ gray _ , not all the way black like that. I mean it was a good attempt, but I notice those sorts of things.”

The mask is false. Fake confidence, for as much posturing as he’s trying to do right now. Even though what he’s said isn’t entirely wrong. It’s true that he’s a great leader, and they’re left scrambling in his absence. But Akira believes in them, too much for that to really be how he feels about it all. 

Joker disappears without another word. Even he must be getting worried with their progress, or maybe he’s just annoyed that Yusuke figured him out. 

Either way, Madarame appears. And it’s everything they expected, just worse in every way. The same strategies can be used, but the paint is worse than before. It hits multiple targets, immediately taking multiple party members out of the fight for a few turns. Yusuke is in and out frantically, at random, as people recover or he’s hit as well. It’s impossible to follow, but somehow Akechi does it. Throughout it all, he continues to call out orders and keep all of them alive. When Yusuke gets his hands on the paint, it’s easier. They can all breathe a little, even though they’re running through supplies far too quickly. 

Still, Akechi keeps them all up, and he’s confident and sure with his decisions. 

And on the other side of it, none of them are too much worse for wear. Although their supplies have been pretty dwindled, and Akechi tells them they’ll finish up this level and head back. Which is how Yusuke is sure they’re pretty much out of everything, if he’s ready to go already.

The next room is minimalistic, and pretty cozy. 

It's almost like they could really just be in the real world. There’s an easel or two up, and paintings hung on the wall. Drawings are pinned in various places, some in frames and others just held up by what looks like thumb tacks. 

In the center of the room there’s a couch. And on it, as Yusuke could’ve guessed, is his cognition. There’s a sketchbook open in his lap and a pencil held loosely in his hand. There’s also a pen behind his ear, and an eraser that looks like it’s about to fall off the arm of the couch. There’s a coffee table with a mug sitting on it still steaming. He seems comfortable and relaxed.

What Yusuke wasn’t expecting was for Joker to already be here, sitting on the couch as well next to his cognition. Not appearing, not beginning his spiel yet. 

Yusuke takes the break to look around at the artwork. Landscapes, some abstract pieces, a handful of portraits that are all of Akira. Since he’s moved on from Ann and started to paint their leader, just because of the inspiration to be found in him. 

He’s already a little worried about what kind of things he’ll be hearing here. He’s always tried to be the best friend he can be to Akira, because he really appreciates how he helped Yusuke get out of that situation and help him see what was going on. He likes just being around Akira, talking to him and going to eat sushi or hang out at the park or go on these weird impulsive quests that Yusuke comes up with to help with his inspiration. But Akira always humors him, and Yusuke tries to do what he can in return. He thought that was something he didn’t have to question, well that’s what he always assumed. 

He hopes he doesn’t learn Akira just hates him or something here. He can deal with anything aside from that. He can work with anything else. There are things he can fix, but if Akira just has hated him this whole time he doesn’t know what he can do about it. Even that, maybe...Yusuke just doesn’t want to lose Akira. 

But really, right now his cognition and Joker are just talking. After a second, Joker laughs at something he’s said and so does the cognition. They’re sitting pretty close, and Joker points out something in the sketchbook that makes the cognition frown and roll his eyes. 

“So...” Yusuke truly intends to continue, but his voice betrays him.

Joker stands up anyway, and the cognition quickly looks down and starts sketching something. 

“Yusuke Kitagawa, codename Fox.” Joker is still smiling. “When things are rough, and I’m stressed, it’s always calming and easy to be around him. He’s extremely strong, strong-willed as well. I worry about him, living in a dorm by himself when he’s not super social. I really hope he’s happy there.”

Yusuke can’t puzzle out what’s wrong. It seems normal, actually this exact scene plays exactly like it could in real life. Yusuke’s almost positive there have been several times he and Akira just sit down somewhere and talk aimlessly while he draws or paints. This all feels so...familiar and real. 

“Thank you, Joker,” he says. “That’s valuable information.”

He bows, but doesn’t disappear. Not right away. First he goes back to the cognition and says something, then he turns back and bows to them again. Only after that does he leave. No teasing, no bothering Akechi or taunting them or anything of the sort. 

He’s happy to be that kind of person for Joker, but he worries for the but. He’s positive it’s coming whether he likes it or not. 

“Will you hand over that pass willingly?” Yusuke prods, not entirely confident.

“No, Joker told me not to.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” The cognition looks around. “You could call him back and ask, but he told me not to give it to you, so I’m not giving it to you.”

It does sound like something Yusuke would say. He trusts Akira with most things, and has found just listening to him is better for everyone. His confidence is so rarely misplaced.

Questions can usually just come later.

“So what’s the problem?” Yusuke finally asks. “What’s your problem with him?”

“I don’t have a problem with him, on the contrary.” The cognition holds up the sketchbook, a page open to a drawing of Joker. “He’s my muse! I don’t know what was wrong with me, thinking Ann’s beauty compared. The composition of his face with the hair that falls slightly in front and the glasses gives a wonderful almost mystery because the top half of his face is always covered. That leaves all his emotion in his mouth and body language, when humans usually read eyes first.”

Yusuke is pretty sure he’s said these exact words to Akira on many occasions. Maybe...maybe Akira just accepts this part. That Yusuke genuinely likes being around him. If that’s true, he’s happy. 

“And that’s it?”

“For now yeah, I’ll run this inspiration dry and then move on as always.”

Yusuke’s heart sinks.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Muses only last so long,” the cognition says. “Once I get what I can out of him, I’ll just move on. Same as we did with Ann, no different.”

He wasn’t really expecting anything, by now he’s realized Akira thinks he’s dispensable. 

He isn’t friends with Akira because he’s his muse, Akira is his muse because they’re friends. And because Akira is an amazing subject, but that’s second. Not even. 

It’s an easy mistake to make. And it falls entirely on him that Akira misunderstood it. 

“I know Joker said not to give out that pass, but Akira in the real world told me I have to get it.”

It’s a gambit, and one that hardly makes sense to Yusuke. But his cognition thinks for a moment before handing his VIP pass over to Yusuke.

It’s a quietly painful sort of room. Things seem normal, the cognition is Yusuke but just slightly off. The whole room is almost right, but not quite. 

Because in the end, Akira still thinks that eventually, Yusuke will just get rid of him. 

At this point, nobody will be ripping Akira away from Yusuke without a fight. 

He tucks the pass into his pocket.

“Thank you,” he says.

“Yeah, just make sure you tell Joker. I mean I want to see the anguish in his expression when he realizes I didn’t listen to him.”

Yusuke feels like at this point everyone expects him to argue with his cognition. Kick up a fuss. Something, anything.

He doesn’t feel like bothering. Not when he’ll just clear it up back in the real world with Akira himself. There’s no reason to argue, no self satisfaction that will bring him. 

That doesn’t stop him from picking up the mask that’s left behind when the cognition disappears. 

_ Muse _ . 

He nods. Akira is his muse, but he’s much more than just that. Akira is...everything more. That’s the part he has to highlight more clearly. 

He snaps the mask in half and drops it back onto the floor.

“You alright buddy?” Ryuji asks him. “I know hearing all that gets pretty rough.”

“I’m quite alright,” he insists. “Now I know. I’ll fix it, once we get back. For now, what we need to focus on is getting through the palace so we can help Akira. That’s what matters.”

The last thing he wants to do is make this about him. He’s done something wrong, all of them have made missteps that have led Akira to feeling this way so deeply and strongly that a palace developed. He’s not going to sit here and lament over how upset seeing this has made him, although it has really made him fairly upset. 

This is about Akira, about saving Akira. Yusuke isn’t going to get distracted from that goal.

“Fox is right, we should focus,” Akechi says after a moment. “Let’s head back for today, I’ll restock on supplies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The intermission piece continues to sit in the dust as I casually write several other pieces about Mishima being a Phantom Thief and design an entire AU with my boyfriend...don't worry it'll get done eventually anyway. I just have a lot of feelings about Mishima sometimes.


	13. Act 2, Scene 5: Nine of Clubs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nine of Wands(Clubs). Exhausted from the struggle your success is close by. Your tools may be broken and abused but they are still working in your favor. The horse moves with power and grace. This is the final test of your courage and resilience. Obstacles will always be on the path forward.   
> Mark your boundaries or others will mark them for you.   
> Nearing the finish.

Makoto follows Akechi into the next level, noting how smoothly things have been going. It hasn’t been pleasant by any means, but at this rate they’ll easily get a route to the treasure by the deadline. She doesn’t want to jinx things, but so far it’s been easy enough to simply follow Akechi and trust that they’ll get through it. It’s an odd feeling to follow Akechi as a leader after everything that’s happened, being in Akira’s palace especially. She doesn’t miss the stress of the leadership position, although she misses...being looked to. She feels bad that she gave it up so easily to Akechi. Was so eager to fade into the background that she just let it go. 

But things are going well. Having Akechi lead them has been working, even if his fight with Akira in the real world created a few problems. She doesn’t doubt it’s the right choice, but still...

She is expecting the bank. In Akira’s mind, everything so far has been neat and organized. A short introduction with Joker at the beginning of each room, usually just to taunt Akechi, firstly. Then a small challenge, usually now they see past cognitions hanging around somewhere, another encounter with Joker and his new mask, then a rematch with a past opponent. Past that, a confrontation of a corresponding cognition of one of them, which has been in order of being recruited to the Phantom Thieves. 

So Makoto is more than aware that this will be a revisit to Kaneshiro’s palace, and at the end of it her cognition will be waiting for her. Akechi also seems aware of this, taking the change of scenery in stride. 

He’s been very quiet so far, he barely spoke a word to any of them. All Makoto knows is that he and Akira probably had an argument recently, judging by what Morgana started to say about leadership before Akechi snapped at him. 

Now, he takes a deep breath and smiles at them. 

“Let’s take this as we’ve taken everything else on so far,” he says. “We’ll keep our lineup as is, and take it all one fight at a time. I’d love to hear about the Kaneshiro fight now.”

Makoto speaks up to explain it to him, which since Yusuke did it and it helped out, seems to be something Akechi liked. So she gives him as many details as she remembers, and watches as Akechi processes the information. He looks around the scene, but doesn’t move forward. It’s a few moments before Joker appears. 

“Aw, were you waiting for me, Detective? I’m flattered, but loitering around in the entrance doesn’t exactly scream progress, does it?”

There’s the bait that Joker always casts, going straight for Akechi. Makoto can’t be sure why it’s always like that, but at this point they’ve all grown used to that as part of the clockwork. 

As usual, Akechi takes it.

“I’m so sick of you,” Akechi says. “I just want Akira to go back to normal, that’s all I want. I want to atone in that way, get my revenge in any way left I can, and then be done with it all. Is that so hard to ask? Please move, so we can continue.”

“You’re grumpy today, aren’t you?” Joker’s outfit changes to his casual clothes. “Don’t tell me...are you actually still upset over that spat last night? What right do  _ you  _ have to be upset?”

“I’m very upset, can we move on?”

“You picked the wrong day to come into the palace. You know it updates real time depending on the real world, right?” Joker shakes his head at them. “He’d never tell you, but the argument certainly affected this palace. If I were your leader, I’d back out now and wait until Akira and Goro resolve their little issue. It’s stupid to try and continue like this.”

“Little? That’s funny, it…” Akechi stops himself and shakes his head. “I really don’t feel like arguing with you anymore. Can we please go?”

Joker’s outfit changes again, to his Metaverse getup. 

“If you’re so torn up, I’ll lead them today! If that’s what you’ve wanted so desperately from the beginning, I can do it from the inside too! Finally, you can have exactly what you wanted this whole time, don’t worry I can do it, I  _ will  _ do it. Don’t worry anymore, your leader will take care of everything for you. Just stand back and thank me later!”

“I don’t want that.”

“It certainly seemed so last night, though. Here, you can have what you want. I’ll act like him, cover up my eyes, you can just pretend. Just pretend it’s Akira, if you want him here so badly. If you need him for that, I can be that!”

“Joker, please.”

“Look at me! Are you so goddamn guilty over an argument you instigated that the mere sight of me sickens you?”

Makoto wants nothing to do with this argument, she doesn’t want to know what they argued about or how Akira feels about it. This feels bad to watch, like they’re peering into a conversation they shouldn’t be. It’s as raw and open as the rest of the palace has been so far. Ann steps forward and puts a hand on Akechi’s shoulder. Makoto hopes she stops him from taking the bait even more. 

“I’m fine,” he insists, immediately shrugging it off. “I am looking at you, Joker. I just think it’s more important to move on towards our goal than bicker with you. Please go.”

“Whatever you think is best,  _ Akechi _ .”

And Joker disappears. Leaving just as Akechi had asked him to, and yet it feels bitter and wrong. 

Akechi continues on as if nothing happened, and only brushes off any concern they show quickly. 

He doesn’t bother questioning when the cognitions they’ve gone through so far are sitting casually in the waiting room. He walks right past and continues on. 

Makoto doesn’t really have a choice except to follow him. So they all do, and things are...not too unusual. Not at first. At first, the place feels a little cold and claustrophobic. But she chalks it up to Kaneshiro’s palace being Kaneshiro’s palace. But it hadn’t felt like that their first time around, and during their first encounter it becomes clear what’s happening. The second Akechi steps into a room, every shadow in the vicinity looks at him. Every fight, he’s targeted heavily. He can barely stay standing for long enough to finish the fight, and the rest of them hardly get a scratch. It weighs on him, more and more the more it happens. Makoto watches it happen in real time. 

His shoulders droop, he starts to drag his feet, and his eyes...those get worse every second. 

When they come to the room with the vault, and Joker appears again, it’s Akechi who speaks up. 

“Do you hate me now?” he asks. “I shouldn’t be asking you that, really. I shouldn’t be here at all, that’s becoming clear. I need to talk to Akira, not you. But you know, don’t you? Does Akira hate me?”

“I could never hate you,” Joker says. “Otherwise why would I be so upset? Does that not please you? I could hate you if that’s what you wanted, could treat you like no more than dirt on my shoe. You seem to think I should, or that I’m supposed to or something. Or I could forgive you, here and now. If that’s what you wanted, because aren’t I always doing that? Giving everyone whatever they want? Especially  _ you _ . I always give you exactly what you need from me, and the one time I don’t this happens!”

“Joker, please. Don’t fight with him, we’re only trying to help you,” Makoto speaks up. 

Her own voice sounds weak to her ears, but what else can she say? She doesn’t want these two going at each other anymore. It’s clearly causing issues. 

“I’m done!” A mask slips over his face, hungry. “I want to be selfish! I want to do what I want! Let me be greedy, for once in my life. Look at me! Let me lead you!” 

“I thought that wasn’t what you wanted.” Akechi steps forward. “I thought that was the last thing you wanted, and what’s wrong with me for even bringing that up, and how could I be so insensitive and awful to you, and I’m just the worst ever and you can’t stand me and you wish I had stayed out of your life!”

The entire room goes silent, aside from Akechi’s quiet panting. And then, Joker laughs, and he just keeps laughing. He laughs so hard he starts to cry, streaks of black falling down the eyes from his mask. And he sighs, at the end of it, as if disappointed. 

“Well at least your attention is on me, now. That’s what I wanted, too.” Joker looks right at him now. “But you really...still think this is all about you. You’re still so focused on what you want, and what you think, and. You really make me sick sometimes, Akechi. Maybe my life would’ve been better without you, but what would I know huh? Not like you tried to kill me. It’s too bad you fucked that up, just like everything else. Sometimes I wish you had succeeded.”

Before anyone says another word, he’s gone. They’re in no state to fight after that, not Akechi at least. 

But still, Kaneshiro appears. And still, they fight him. Makoto can’t even really be in the fight, because keeping Akechi alive becomes a full time commitment. He is the only party member that’s being attacked at all, like Joker’s entire palace has turned on him now. The fight is mostly Akechi giving out orders and doing an obscene amount of damage until they get through it. 

They’re going to have to leave, and Makoto doesn’t want to be the one who says that. 

Akechi simply walks forward and into the final room. He’s still not saying anything, and it’s starting to freak her out. 

It looks like the student council room, and it’s just her sitting at the large table with a book open.

“Makoto Niijima, codename Queen.” 

She expects Joker to show up and start expositioning. He's still in his Metaverse outfit, and he looks pointedly away from their group. 

“My right hand in a way, she’s very analytical and comes up with quite a few of our plans. She’s taken quickly to the Phantom Thieves, and become someone I’m comfortable trusting deeply with lots of different things.” Joker hums. “Although that’s only half of it. She’s also a very good friend, and I wish we could spend more time together, but she’s busy often. Plus I’m not sure if she really cares for me much. She’s still a valuable ally, either way. I think, in my absence, she would be a  _ great  _ leader. She’s who I would trust most in the role out of everybody.”

“Thank you, Joker,” Makoto says. 

She feels her head pounding, the beginning of a headache coming onto her. The fact that Akira doesn’t think she even considers him much more than a teammate is a sting that hits deep. And he’s trying to start a fight with Akechi again, already. She’s so tired of this. 

She goes to sit next to her cognition.

“So what’s the deal? You hate Joker or something? Go on, lay it on me.”

“I don’t hate him. He’s a very competent leader, and the most valuable person in the team. Versatile and strong, determined but still smart about it all.” The cognition closes her book. “And he’s helped me out a few times in the real world. Why would I hate him? He’s extremely useful.”

Even worse than dispensable, Akira thinks she thinks he’s just useful in the role he has to play. Thinks he is indispensable just because of his talents. She wonders if that’s what this whole fight was about. 

“Sure. What do you want for the VIP pass?”

“Hmm.” The cognition stands up. “Well I don’t really care about it, but if you want it there must be something important I don’t see in it. What can you offer for it?”

“We have money, items—“

“Oh, oh. Do you have a balm of life?”

Makoto digs around in her bag. Akira had gone out to get more things for them, and she’s pretty sure...yes, he got a handful of balms of life. She takes one out, pressing it into the cognition’s hand. In return, the pass is handed to her.

“Pleasure doing business,” she says. “I can’t imagine why you care so much about Akira, he’s perfectly capable of handling himself. But good luck in your pursuits.”

The cognition leaves behind a mask which reads  _ Leader _ .

“Queen?”

Makoto shakes her head. She doesn’t want to talk about this, not now. They have more important things to worry about. She steps on the mask on her way forward.

“Uh. Yes, continuing is our best bet,” Akechi says. “We should almost be there by now, according to Oracle.”

“No, it isn’t,” she insists. 

Akechi’s taken her leadership role as well, as quickly taken as she had received it. Not that she was particularly attached to it, but it still hurts that even Akira trusts Akechi in such a role. She knows he didn’t mean what he said today, she knows Akechi is a more competent leader than she is. She’s supposed to be his right hand.

It doesn’t matter.

The worst thing for them to do is continue.

“Am I the only one who cares about helping Akira here? I swear, sometimes it’s like I’m talking to a bunch of—“

“Crow. Your fight with Akira has made this whole palace hell for you specifically. We’re burning through too many supplies just keeping you alive,” she points out. “It’s not sustainable. You’re dragging the rest of us down because you want to charge ahead recklessly and make things more difficult. You have to fix this. We aren’t coming back into the Metaverse until you do. And that’s final.”

Akechi doesn’t argue with her. Not now. But she’s sure this won’t be the end of things. 

They just have to get this palace over with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if theoretically, not saying it is, but if Akechi's chapter in this palace were to be almost 11k words...would you rather I split it into two parts or keep it whole?   
> Again, this is just theoretical--


	14. Act 2, Scene 6: Six of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six of Cups(Hearts). Hares are very different from rabbits. The hare is intuitive and sensitive, while the rabbit is known to flee. Reflecting on memories of the past can be beautiful. But not every cup is standing. Not all times were good and it is important to remember the lessons of the past when dealing with current circumstances. The rabbit runs from the past but the hare jumps forward and lives in the present.  
> Happiness of childhood, being protected.

Futaba feels her heart sink as they enter the palace again. It’s still cold, still feels like they really shouldn’t be here. Not that seeing her palace is welcoming as is, but there’s something more to it. She has a bad feeling that Akechi didn’t make up with Akira like he was supposed to. 

She starts her usual scan of the level, looking for where Joker’s shadow is. He's usually close by. 

“Crow, you said you would talk to him. You said it would be fine,” Makoto snaps. “Don’t tell me you lied.”

Futaba doesn’t miss the slight edge in Makoto’s voice, the venom in the statement. She’s really angry, and she isn’t trying to hide it from any of them. She’s trying to be the leader, even if she stepped down from the position when Akechi joined them for this. 

She takes a deep breath and hopes they burn each other out arguing. 

“We _did_ talk,” Akechi insists. “And we aren’t great still, but I thought we were over it.”

“That’s funny, Akechi.”

Futaba sees Joker sulking around on this level, but that isn’t too out of place either. This entire place has a routine to it, an order that it follows closely. She’s used to it by now, and had known what would be waiting for them today. For her, especially. 

She isn’t sure how to feel about it quite yet. 

And here he is, of course, Joker. In his Metaverse outfit, like he can still prove to them all that nothing is out of the ordinary. 

“Go ahead, tell me about how I messed up more,” Akechi says, then rubs his eyes. “It seemed like we really got somewhere there, what did I do wrong?”

“Oh you don’t know? In your mind, everything went great, like how you told me right off the bat it was for the palace?” Joker looks tired. “Made me feel like I had to forgive you or risk jeopardizing the infiltration. It’s fine! I forgive you, just like that, just like always. Not to worry everyone, I won’t impede you anymore. Go ahead, it’s fine. I won’t get in your way anymore. ”

Akechi looks like he’s going to argue for a second, but Joker is gone before he seems to work himself up enough to. 

So they move on. 

Palaces are never fun, exactly, but this one seems worse with every second. The rest of them sit back and watch this breakdown going on, unable to intervene or try to comfort either party because in the end it isn’t really...any of their places to do so. 

Anyway, they move along, because this is about Akira, and they have a deadline they’re getting dangerously close to. The last thing Futaba wants is for the deadline to run by them just because Akechi and Akira had an argument and he was getting a little beat up. That’s probably mean, so she doesn’t say as much, but it’s frustrating. They’re so close now. 

She wants to rescue Akira from this...storm inside of him, like he did for her. 

Akechi asks quietly about the fight at the end, and Futaba lets herself completely tune out. She can hear Makoto explaining quietly, but doesn’t catch more than the tone of her voice and that Akechi asks her if she can do what she did then. 

She agrees. 

“Hey guys!” 

The cognitions are sitting on the steps to the tomb, and Ann’s is standing up and waving. 

They have to walk right past them to get inside, and for a long moment no one moves forward. 

It’s Akechi who has to lead them inside, ignoring them entirely. 

“So rude,” Ann’s cognition huffs. “Well it’ll be fun when Futaba’s cognition joins us anyway! I bet Haru’s section will actually have somewhere comfortable to sit!”

“Why are you here?” Haru tries quietly. 

“Huh? I dunno, Joker just told us to come here after the last level collapsed.”

Collapsed? Futaba doesn’t have a tendency to look back, but here she does. 

Usually when they come into the palace now they appear in the last safe room they entered, and for some reason none of them thought to question it. A quirk in Akira’s cognition, surely. 

“Guys?” Futaba speaks up. “The palace is collapsing. Every time we clear a level, it...poof.”

“Isn’t that good? It means his cognition must be changing,” Haru says, too hopefully.

“Maybe…”

“Let’s move,” Akechi snaps. “Ignore them, it doesn’t matter what the palace is doing when we’re getting close to the treasure now.”

So they’re blown past, other than some odd glances. Most of them seem to share the sentiment that they just want to get this palace finished like Akechi. They just want to destroy this place and get back to tell Akira how wrong it all is. 

But Akira’s mind literally destroying itself does raise a few red flags. 

True to his word, Joker doesn’t get in their way. Actually, all the shadows are weak, and the puzzles seem to be entirely deactivated as they move through her palace. And Joker doesn’t appear again to them, even though Futaba can still sense his presence close by. He’s still watching, but...he doesn’t intervene. The natural flow of the palace has been entirely offset by whatever happened in the real world, but the ease in difficulty is welcome. 

Whatever gets them through this faster. 

At the end of the level though, Joker is still waiting for them. He seems slightly out of place, his Metaverse outfit offset by his absence of gloves, his Shujin jacket replacing his usual one. He seems to be going back and forth between the casual clothes and his Metaverse gear, and a few of his masks are cracked. 

It’s probably more signs that this place is collapsing in on itself. 

“Futaba.”

“Joker.”

He looks up at her persona and shakes his head. 

“I couldn’t let you fight here, and I couldn’t make you face your mother like that again. I know I said I wouldn’t get in your way but…” A rather empty mask slides over his face. “You’d be an idiot to believe such a lie. I’ll be your opponent here. I’m sure that’ll be better for everyone.”

“An abrupt end to the palace?” Akechi asks, although he easily falls into a fighting stance. “I’ll certainly take beating you here and now over going through much more of this.”

“This is far from the end, Detective. Don’t get your hopes up.”

They’re plunged into battle immediately. Futaba works on buffs and debuffs as she usually does and tries not to pay too much attention to anything else. The last thing she wants to see is the murderous intent in Joker’s gaze as he sends his personas after them. She doesn’t want to watch them all get downed, doesn’t want to listen to what he’s saying, the nonsense he spouts as he attacks. 

She focuses on getting them all through the fight. 

She listens to what Akechi asks from her, and let’s the fight come to a quiet end. Joker doesn’t seem upset at all. 

And Futaba steps out of her persona with a sigh when her cognition appears to run up to him. 

“Joker! Are you okay?”

“Hardly a scratch,” he dismisses. “I’ll leave you to them, now. Good luck.”

“Hey,” Futaba starts. “You, uh, clearly care about him, don’t you? Just give us the VIP pass and we can help him.”

“Why should I let you get any closer to my older brother?” The cognition sounds genuinely angry. “If you hurt him, if you take him away from me, who’s going to take care of me?”

Futaba’s heart pangs. Akira thinks of her so closely and yet...

Does Akira really think she’s so selfish? Think that she’s just using him, like everyone else. Of course he does, she could’ve guessed things would go this way. When has she ever given him any real evidence to dispute that? 

It doesn’t hurt any less. 

“We’re trying to save him,” Ann says gently, moving forward. “He’s important to all of us, we want to help him. You can help us help him, save him.”

Her cognition scoffs, then laughs. She tucks the pass into her jacket and shrugs.

“Eh, well I don’t care about saving him. Neither should you, for that matter.” She pushes up her glasses. “He doesn’t need to be saved, he doesn’t want to. No matter what he says, he thrives off of this. Taking care of everyone, being useful. He _needs_ to be useful, you have no idea what a disaster it’ll be if you take that away from him. This is for the best.”

Futaba moves her goggles off of her eyes just to see her cognitive self closer. Try to catch a flaw, point out something and prove that this isn’t really her. 

“Are you that selfish?” she asks.

“It’s not about me,” her cognition responds easily. “It’s about our big brother. That’s what big brothers do, they protect their little sisters. It’s not our job to look after him. I mean what if we had another breakdown? What if something bad happened to us? He’d never forgive himself. He needs this, it’s cruel of you all to try to go against his wishes like that.”

“It doesn’t matter what he thinks, we should look after him anyway,” she argues. “He asked us to do this!”

“No. He doesn’t need that anyway, he’s the perfect leader and the perfect big brother and he doesn’t need our help anyway. He’s fine. This is what he wants, I promise. He’s lying to you in the real world because he doesn’t want to admit that he wants to lay down and die without a fuss!”

“That’s not right,” she tells herself. “That’s not true. That’s not Akira, not all the time. He’s still just...a regular person who can make mistakes. We shouldn’t expect him to be perfect all the time. It’s our duty as his sister to help him through all times, even when he doesn’t want it. Especially then. He needs our help now. It doesn’t matter whether or not he really wants it, that shouldn’t stop us from saving him anyway.”

“You know.” Her cognition sighs. “I don’t feel like fighting you on it. I don’t feel like I need to stop you here. If the others don’t, I know my big brother certainly will.”

“You’re wrong, Akira wants us to do this for him,” Futaba manages through a clenched jaw.

“Well whatever. Those two will just crush the last of that pathetic hope. Joker doesn’t think any of us stand a chance of stopping you, his whole plan hinges on _him_.” Still, she hands Futaba her VIP pass. “Good luck saving him, I don’t think it’s even possible. I gave up on it a long time ago. I...hope you can.”

With that, she dissipates. All that’s left is a mask on the ground where she stood, labeled _Big Brother._

Futaba picks it up, examining it. When she doesn’t see anything interesting she would need it for, she crushes it. It cracks into a few pieces. 

She drops it on the ground, stomping on it until the pieces are no longer distinguishable. Until even if you reassembled it, the words could no longer be read. 

The rush of anger leaves her system all at once, leaving her feeling empty. 

“Let’s move on,” she says. “We’re close to the end now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a bit short compared to the other ones! Futaba's POV always ends up being very succinct so it tends to happen. Don't worry the next two are much longer, and more painful to boot!


	15. Act 2, Scene 7: Three of Clubs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three of Wands(Clubs). Your aspirations are being put into work. Your careful planning has woven your ideas into progress. The crow is dark and mysterious. Some see them as good, some bad. They are said to have great insight. Together they work to survive. They represent the culmination of work, and all the good and the bad experiences that have provided lessons along the way.  
> Looking to the future, potential for growth.

Haru brings up the very back of the group. Although she’s supposed to stay close to Akechi because he wants her on the front lines if they run into trouble, she doesn’t particularly want to. She doesn’t mind fighting alongside him, listening to what he has to say, and so far she’s done well stepping up when she’s supposed to and still aiding the team as they go through this palace. But she doesn’t really want to have to look at him for too long, and she feels like that’s fair enough. She’s still grappling with everything they learned in Akechi’s palace, not to mention how exhausting Akira’s palace has been so far. 

By now, Akechi has figured out the pattern, and he warned Haru briefly that her level would be next. 

It’s going in order. And Haru is next up. 

She descends into the next level with that knowledge. And even though she knows, even though she’s expecting it, it still surprises her as the room opens up into her father’s palace. It’s clear that whatever fight Akechi and Akira had is still affecting the palace. It feels just slightly like they’re unwelcome, and she doesn’t miss how Akechi seems to be having trouble moving as quickly as he usually does. As if something is physically holding him back. 

Joker doesn’t appear to say anything to them, taunt them or introduce them to the level. There’s no sign of him when they move forward. 

There are the gaggle of the rest of the cognitions, sitting crammed together on a bench watching and giggling over something Futaba’s cognition is showing them. Haru knows now why they appear in every new level, because the old ones suddenly don’t exist. She hadn’t thought to question it before, but with the new knowledge that the palace is collapsing in on itself...it makes her hopeful. Still, when Akechi blows past them as he’s started to do, she just follows him. It feels like she’s doing a lot of that. Just following Akechi and going through the motions. She doesn’t have anything to say, doesn’t want to interject or do anything other than what everyone expects from her. 

She knows that’s the last thing she should be doing right now, stepping back and letting everyone else take care of things. But it doesn’t stop her from letting Makoto explain the Okumura fight to Akechi so she doesn’t have to. She knows avoidance has never done any favors for anyone, but this isn’t something she feels she should be forced to face. Not here, not with Akechi at their head, and not so soon. 

She gives a short nod when Makoto asks if she’s going to be alright though. Because she will be, and she still wants to fight. In the end, she cares much more about saving Akira than anything else. She won’t turn her back on him after everything just because the wound is still a little sore. 

“Crow, do you think your fight with Akira is going to impede our progress more?”

Makoto shouldn’t need to ask. They all saw what happened last level, how this has all looked so far as well. All of it points to things being easier than before. 

“Actually, I think this has only sped up our progress,” Akechi comments. “Which is unfortunate, but it means we don’t have to return just yet. Regardless, I’ll...I mean it will be fixed. You don’t need to worry about it, I’ll take care of it. We’ll leave after this level.”

“Why? We haven’t gotten through the level yet, and we’re in good shape. We may not have to leave.” Makoto looks around. “From what I remember, this palace wasn’t bad either. Akira seemed to know what he was doing.”

“Because past this is my level, if we assume I get one. Assuming I don’t, it’s what? Final fight, then treasure. Either way, we should take a break before it.”

Unfortunately, Akechi is absolutely right. Nobody argues with him that his level will likely be a nightmare, and it’ll probably benefit them if Akechi and Akira make up before they go into it. 

They continue, the robots complimenting the cold atmosphere made chillier by the absence of Joker. He doesn’t pop up to talk to them a single time as they burn through the weak enemies like they’re no more than paper. 

It may be an upsetting thought, but it has been true that things are easier now. Joker has truly stepped back and stopped getting in their way, all the way down to the shadows they encounter. Things feel just too quiet in that absence, like they’re doing something wrong simply by being there. 

But Joker is waiting for them in the final room. The room she remembers fighting her father in, where his mental shutdown must’ve been triggered. He isn’t here, though. Only Joker stands to face them. More of his masks have broken from last time, and a few seem to be missing. 

He’s entirely in casual clothes, and not even his glasses lay to disguise his face. 

Haru hopes this means his heart is already changing, but she worries it’s something much darker at work. 

“He isn’t here. If that’s what you were going to ask me, Detective. I’m sure it was.” Joker looks up, exhaustion painting his features. “He was here, too. But I decided to get rid of him. I don’t want to hurt Haru anymore. It’s fine anyway, I know you still won’t win either way. I might as well spare you unnecessary pain now. I said I wouldn’t stop you anymore too, and I don’t want to go back on my word now..”

“So there’s no fight here?”

“No. Just get the pass from the cognition and leave. I’m sure that’s your plan, right?” Joker tilts his head with a hint of a smile. “Because your room is up next and it terrifies you, isn’t that right? You don’t want to see what it is yet, you need to prepare yourself before you go in to face it. That’s probably the smart thing to do too, you  _ should  _ be scared. A good, sound decision, Detective.”

“How are you so sure my room will stop us?” Akechi asks. 

Haru is sure he can’t help it. The incessant questions. Joker seems to get him riled up, just like real life really. And how Joker is acting here, almost like what they’ve already done has changed him already. Maybe they’ve already triggered his change of heart. 

Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but it keeps her slightly sane as she grapples with the information they’re being given. That Joker isn’t fighting them anymore, that he’s here with them so vulnerable, he’s even complimenting Akechi in an offhand way. 

She just wants things back to a tentative normal. As normal as they can be allowed in such a situation. 

“Well Detective, because you’ve given me everything.” Joker crosses his arms and tilts his head back. “You are probably the only person who ever has. I saw every ugly part of you, and so my cognition of you can get pretty...interesting. He is you, he’s  _ all  _ of you. And he’s more. He and I will end it in that room. Don’t worry yourself over the details.”

“Joker, I don’t quite get it,” Haru says quietly. “You’re being so nice, the palace is so easy now. It feels almost like your change of heart has already begun. And that makes me happy! Yet, it’s not quite right because you’re still so adamant that you’ll stop us. That’s a...that’s a contradiction. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It would be cruel of me to fight you tooth and nail to the end. I know I can stop you in the next room. I don’t want to make everything more painful. You’ve all done so well so far, you know? I’m so proud of how far all of you have come from when I first met you. How you grew and changed, I think you’ve all become such...such wonderful people.” Joker smiles, as bitter as it feels. “Let’s just do this together, and pretend defeat isn’t waiting for you. I’d hate to self destruct and catch you all in the crossfire.”

“That won’t happen. It’s my turn to save you, and I’m going to do it. I swear it on my life,” Akechi insists. “But I know arguing won’t get us anywhere. You’re right, we should move on.”

Joker smiles openly at them. It feels almost normal, and it would be if not for the unmistakable yellow eyes. But he opens the door for them, using a key he retrieves from his own pocket. And he holds it open for them. 

Akechi walks through first, and Joker says something to him she doesn’t catch. His shoulders tense up, but he only pauses for a moment before walking past him. 

The rest of them follow. And Joker only smiles sweetly at them as they pass. 

In the next room, as she could’ve guessed, there’s a garden. A large, blooming, thriving garden. 

Her cognitive self is here, just like Akechi said. Just like they all have been so far. She’s kneeling on the ground in front of a row of tomato plants with a watering can.

“Haru Okumura, codename Noir.”

Joker shuts the door behind them, already walking up to her as he’s talking. 

The cognition is humming to herself, gently tipping the watering can to give each plant the right amount of water. She doesn’t seem to even notice that Joker is there. Too caught up in her own task to look up at him as he stands mere inches from her. 

“She found the Metaverse without our help, and took care of Morgana when we fought. She fell into the group quickly, and we tried to steal her father’s heart but...failed. She’s now the heiress to her father’s company, and that takes up most of her time.” Joker steps closer to the cognition. “She is quite gentle, nice, and caring. Although she does have quite the fiery side as well. I consider her strong and sweet, and I hold her dearly to myself. She rounds out the group nicely. She may be new, but I look forward to trying to get to know her more.”

Haru shifts uncomfortably under the praise. She doesn’t know what to say when Joker is looking right at her. Like he’s expecting an answer. 

She goes to inspect the plants, crouching beside the cognition to look at the tomatoes. They’re plump, in pristine condition. Bigger than most homegrown tomatoes have any right to be. A lot of them are the perfect shade of red, ready for picking. It’s almost cute that Joker thinks she’s so good at gardening. 

The cognition seems to agree it’s about time to harvest them, picking up a wicker basket from beside her and beginning to twist and pluck the best tomatoes off of the plants and dropping them in.

“Hello,” the cognition greets. “What brings you here?”

Haru picks a tomato that looks like it’s about to fall off and drops it into the basket. 

“I need your VIP pass, is all.”

“For what?” But the cognition is already taking it out. 

“We want access to the final room here.”

“I mean I don’t particularly need it.” She hands Haru the pass. “So I don’t mind at least lending it to you.”

“You aren’t worried Joker will be angry?” Haru glances back and winces as Joker meets her eyes. 

“Why would I care what Joker thinks?” She laughs, setting her full basket down. “It’s just Joker.”

“Well yeah, but...”

“Oh don’t tell me you think I actually care about him do you? I barely know him, come on now.” She stands, leaving Haru crouching on the ground frozen. “We haven’t known each other long, and all he’s done is mess everything up. He got our father killed, after all.“

“That wasn’t his fault,” Haru says.

She has to physically hold herself back from glancing at Akechi. 

“Well it doesn’t matter. Either way, it’s just Joker. We don’t know him, so of course I wouldn’t really care. The only reason I even bother is because I think he might be able to help out with my fiancé and he gives okay advice. Plus he’s the Leader of the Phantom Thieves, so as long as we do that we have to deal with him.” The cognition picks a flower and tucks it behind her ear. “Don’t worry about it, once things blow over we can make some better connections. Oh, good luck with the next room though. And with that psycho.”

Haru watches the cognition disappear just like that. And in the end she didn’t really say anything to argue against any of that. Even though it isn’t true, Haru is better than dismissing someone who saved her.

But the mask on the ground clearly says  _ Stranger _ .

She looks at Joker, like he has an answer for any of that. But he doesn’t say a word as he looks at her. 

“I don’t think that,” she tells him. 

He just shrugs. 

“You’ve never said anything to suggest otherwise,” he argues calmly. 

Haru picks up the watering can that was left behind and thinks about the day they decided to go into Akechi’s palace for the first time. It was like this. 

Everything finally overflowed in her chest and she nearly had a breakdown then and there. She managed to pull herself together. She told herself that this was for Akira’s sake. That she cared more for him than she despised Akechi for what he did. And apparently, Akira never saw any of that care for him. Only...that she put up with him? Tolerated him? 

Now, the full watering can in her hand walks her closer and closer to that line again. It’s heavy, too full. Her cognition had barely started to water the plants before she left. She chucks it at the stupid mask on the ground she left, then takes her axe out and brings it down as well for good measure. 

Like Akira is a stranger. 

He saved her, and he continues to save her even when he doesn’t even realize it. 

Akira blames himself? Why? He should know by now he’s more than a leader, more than someone she just uses. He doesn’t need to be useful to be her friend. 

It’s her fault, all their faults, that he thinks that way. 

Haru stands, chest tight and painful.

“Let’s just go,” she says, before anyone else can say something. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Akira really thinks she’s like that? So hurt and angry? 

Is that what everyone thinks?

“It’s almost over,” Akechi comments gently. “I assume this will be the last room, won’t it?”

“Yes,” Joker answers easily. “You should go back to say your goodbyes to Akira and rest up. Returning as close to the deadline as possible is probably for the better, not that you’ll listen to me.”

“I won’t,” Akechi confirms, looking at him with something indescribable. “We’ll be back, soon. I’m ready to face whatever you have waiting for me.”

“I’m sure you think you are, Detective.” Joker smiles fakely at them. “Don’t worry. Next time, no matter what, it’ll be over.”

Haru finds the slightest of comforts there. But just barely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well! Buckle up everybody, the next chapter is bordering on 11k words and it is a damn doozy so get ready


	16. Act 2, Scene 8: Two of Spades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two of Swords(Spades). Life’s decisions can be difficult. The mask we wear can only hide our true emotions for so long until the cracks start to show. We can choose to see with our own eyes or through the eyes of others. Our decisions are ultimately our own. You can hide amongst the weeds or you can seek your path.  
> Indecision. Making an impossible choice.

Goro has watched every single person in the group go through their personal hells and pain meeting their cognitions. 

Facing their mistakes head on and being told exactly how much it’s affecting Akira. Reliving their traumas, sometimes fighting themselves even. The past two rooms haven’t been so bad, though. Not ever since that conversation he had with Akira. 

Goro figured out the pattern fairly quickly, and has been dreading the moment the countdown runs out on him since they started this whole disaster. He doesn’t want to know, he doesn’t want to face everything he’s ever regretted. He may not know exactly how Akira feels, but he could guess. He knows it won’t be pleasant. 

Goro had showed up early to Leblanc, and is currently trying to think of something to say to Akira. He’s behind the counter, making coffees for everyone. They gave him a rundown of this being the last room before the treasure, and he had seemed nothing but excited and relieved. Goro has no idea how his shadow can share such a different sentiment. He doesn’t know when Akira got so good at lying. 

Akira didn’t say much more to him than a short good morning when he walked in. Goro wonders, briefly, if Futaba still has the place bugged. He hopes not. 

“Akira, can we talk?” he asks. 

Akira sets a mug of coffee in front of him. It hits the counter heavy, and spills slightly. Akira takes a mug of his own and circles around to sit next to him. He drinks his coffee for a long time, not answering. Goro takes the pause to wipe up the spill and take small sips out of his own mug. 

He missed this, Akira’s coffee. It tastes even better than he remembers. 

“What do you want to talk about?” Akira shoots back. 

“I’m sure you can guess.”

“Humor me.”

“Our fight. I know you didn’t really...I want to talk things over for real. I know you’re still upset.”

“Well yes, a bit. But we  _ both  _ said some pretty nasty stuff.” Akira doesn’t look at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it, I was just hurt. I wanted you to leave it alone.”

“It’s okay. I thought you were just scared? Or felt inadequate? I wouldn’t have tried to convince you to come with us if I knew you just didn’t want to. I’m sorry for that, I didn’t mean to pressure you. And I didn’t even think you’d put yourself under that pressure when I told you about the changes. That wasn’t why I apologized, I really am sorry.”

“Maybe I was just scared, I don’t know. It’s okay, I’m really not that upset anymore.” Akira raises his head to smile weakly at him. “Know you better than to take any of that to heart.”

Even though that’s exactly what happened. He took it so close to heart that the entire palace changed. Goro doesn’t say that, he’s just relieved that the tension between them seems to have finally been cut. 

There’s a few moments of comfortable silence between them, but there’s more on Goro’s mind. He wants to talk about it before everyone else arrives. 

“Are you scared we won’t be able to do it?” Goro asks. 

It’s to get a feel of his cognition, but there’s probably a part of him that’s just worried. 

“I wouldn’t say that, no. Let’s just...I don’t really want to talk about it.”

He shouldn’t ask this of Akira. But he does anyway. 

“Then can I give you a hug? Just in case something bad happens?”

“Oh? Goro asking  _ me  _ for a hug? You must really be worried,” Akira teases. 

“I kind of am.”

Akira leans across the space between them and hugs Goro. His grip is tight, and secure, and Goro feels like crying. He doesn’t want to say goodbye. 

He can’t. He has to do this, so this isn’t goodbye. 

They talk about nothing as they wait for the rest of the thieves to filter in. And all Akira has for them before they head in is a smile and a, “Good luck!”

The palace has a much warmer feel to it now. It doesn’t feel as unwelcoming as it has, and at least that settles Goro’s worries that Akira really didn’t forgive him. At least that regret he can lay to rest. 

He steps into the final room, and has to blink and look around for a second. They’re in Leblanc, but not really. Joker is behind the counter pouring coffee into a mug. 

A familiar and common image. Just a few moments ago Akira had looked so much like that in the real world. 

“Come sit,” Joker says, gesturing to the spot in front of him.

“Joker, why did you bother with the deadline?” Goro asks casually, sliding into a barstool. “And all the flashy lights and threats and such. If this was the challenge you were so sure would stop us all along...what was with the fanfare?”

“Well, Detective.” Joker sets the coffee in front of him. “I think I was just dragging it out. Dragging out the inevitable. I don’t really  _ want  _ to die, I just know I deserve it.”

“Unfortunately, I have to save you from that.”

“I think you’re assuming victory too quickly.”

“I thought this was the final room before the treasure? My cognition isn’t here, so I can only assume the whole palace has acted as my room.”

“It is the final room,” Joker says. “But you haven’t exactly cleared it yet, have you?”

“Sure, but right now there’s nothing here.”

“Don’t be so sure.” Joker laughs. “Akechi Goro, codename Crow. My fellow wildcard, my enemy and my friend. The one who betrayed me and yet the one who’s trying to save me now. The multifaceted psycho of a sweet detective who’s just as hurt as all of us. You are  _ so many things,  _ Goro. I think you’re the most intelligent person I know. You thought I’d fit you neatly into a single cognition?”

Goro looks at Joker. Waiting. 

But it’s clear he isn’t going to continue. The coffee in front of him steams, and Goro picks it up to take a sip. It doesn’t taste like anything. 

“Alright, Joker,” he concedes. “Show me, then. All your cognitions, as I’m sure you’re itching to do. That’s the purpose of this room, is it not? Show me what you think of me then.”

When Goro sets down his mug, it’s like a mirror image. Sitting next to him is...himself. His cognition, dressed in his usual uniform and drinking coffee from a mug of his own. 

“Kurusu, this is wonderful,” the cognition praises. 

His voice drips in bitter honey, and the smile on his face is entirely fake. Actually, he’s fake. He’s the persona Goro wielded in the real world, used to further his goals. The Detective Prince he pretended to be and has long since buried deep inside of himself to suffocate slowly is sitting next to him on a barstool. 

“I’m glad you enjoy it,” Joker responds, just as fake. “I suppose I’m improving, then?”

“Absolutely. Better by the day. Surely you’ll be better than Sakura in no time,” the Detective teases. 

But it’s nothing like their gentle teasing, their biting rivalry. This is a formality, this is them trying to fabricate a closeness when neither of them have opened up. It’s the truth of a bond they shared a long time ago. 

Goro is almost bitter to see it still hanging around in Akira’s mind. 

“Oh, don’t say that.” Joker shrugs and laughs lightly. “Seriously, don’t. Boss would kill me if he ever heard you say that. Although maybe you’d have fun solving my murder,  _ Detective _ .””

The Detective laughs, but then covers his mouth. Like it was a laugh he hadn’t intended. He flushes, then stands. 

Joker’s face falls. The moment was too real for either of them, clearly. 

“I have to go, Kurusu. I have work in the morning.” He shuts it down coldly. “Enjoy your night. Goodbye.”

“Yeah. See you around, Akechi.”

His cognition walks right out of the door to Leblanc, shutting it behind him without a single glance back. 

“Joker, that was a long time ago,” Goro points out quietly. 

“Maybe.” Joker wipes the counter down where the Detective had sat. “You still do it.”

“Do what?”

“Run away.”

That hurts. He isn’t necessarily wrong, but it hurts to be pointed out to him. That for as much as he tries to separate himself from these things, they’re still a part of him. 

Goro sighs. 

“The rest of you should settle in,” he calls back to the other thieves. “I have a feeling this will...be a long room.”

He listens to them shuffle to sit somewhere in the booths behind him, and Joker watches them with something fond. 

“Oh it’s just like real life. Distancing yourself even here, aren’t you?” Joker asks sharply. 

“Where’s the next cognition?” Goro bites back. “Get on with it.”

“If you insist, Detective.”

As Joker’s hand pulls away from the counter, another cognition shows itself. The change from before is almost,  _ almost  _ imperceptible. 

But this version of himself isn’t wearing gloves, and his posture is much more relaxed, eyes less guarded. 

This is the Goro who reluctantly opened up to Akira, the one who became close with him in order to further his plot and became too attached. Too comfortable. 

This is Akechi to Kurusu, rivals.

“Your usual?” Joker asks casually. 

“Yes please. Thank you, Kurusu.”

“Long day?”

Akechi laughs, shaking his head. His eyes are a little too tired, too far away, and he rests his chin in his palm as he watches Joker move behind the counter.

“Ah, is it that obvious?”

“Can’t get anything past me,” Joker says, easily turning his back to Akechi.

“Of course not. I’d never dream of it.”

A silence settles between them, familiar. 

Goro misses this sometimes. Before he betrayed anyone, before that was even on his mind. When Akira was a way to pass the time, just a suspect not quite yet his target. When there was no guilt in this time they spent together, no pain between them. 

When they just were. Just existed. Just teenagers. 

“Here.” Joker sets coffee down. “If you don’t love it I might have to quit and move back to my hometown.”

Akechi just rolls his eyes, taking a small sip. 

“Hm. It’s still quite awful, but I don’t hate it.”

“You love it.”

“Absolutely not.”

And the two of them laugh. But this time Akechi doesn’t get up to leave. 

“We can’t stay this way,” Akechi says, a brightness remaining in his voice now unfounded. 

“We never could, hm?” Joker leans in with a grin. “We couldn’t be allowed this in this lifetime. You couldn’t let that happen, could you Goro?”

Joker’s eyes are on him now, and Goro just looks away. He can’t hold the yellow eyes, be reminded of...everything. He just wants to observe, just wants to see these things play out and file them away. Save it for when Akira is back in front of him, relieved of this burden. 

But Joker has never let him think. Akira never has either. 

“I suppose that’s what I get for letting my guard down,” Akechi sighs. “Well, I should take my leave. This time was far too brief. Goodbye.”

“I wish it lasted longer,” Joker says quietly. “I’ll see you soon, Akechi.”

Akechi just raises his hand in farewell and walks out with a faint smile on his face. 

“Don’t,” Goro warns. 

His voice is wavering. He doesn’t know how he’s supposed to get through this, but if he stops for even a moment it’s going to catch up to him. 

“You miss it,” Joker accuses. “I miss it.”

“But there’s nothing we can do, is there? We can never have that again,” he snaps. “Leave it, please. I don’t want to think about it.”

“I know what’s next,” he adds when Joker doesn’t say anything. “It’ll be the last pleasant cognition of me I’m sure. Let’s hurry it along.”

Joker wipes down the spot at the counter, and once he’s finished the next cognition appears. At least there’s an order to this. At least Goro can brace himself every time. 

Here he is. The Goro who blackmailed his way into the Phantom Thieves in order to betray them. The one who was more a friend, more a teammate than even now. Even if it was all based on lies, it was still another mask he wore. 

Yet another way he gave Akira so much of himself without even thinking about it. 

This liar. 

“Akechi, you up for the palace today?” 

The liar clearly bites back something with a sip of coffee. 

“Mm. Sure, if you think we should go back in today. Are you in a hurry, Leader?” The liar tilts his head with a grin. “We have plenty of time to the deadline. Could it be that you're worried?”

“No,” Joker dismisses. “We’re competent enough for this palace. It’s fine.”

“Really? You seem so tense. Are you thinking of the Phantom Thieves disbanding after the heist? I’m sorry it had to come down to such a thing, but...I’m only doing my job.”

Joker’s hands tighten around the mug he’s washing.

Goro knows now that at this point, they knew what he was planning. They already had their counterattack prepared, they were just playing this waiting game to let him think he’d already won. 

Goro decides he hates this cognition of himself, the one Akira seems to hold where he was an idiot walking right into a trap he’d created for himself without realizing. Would fail to notice was a trap until much later, until it didn’t matter anymore. Not until they let him know, either. 

“No, it’ll be fine,” Joker repeats cooly. “On second thought, let’s not go to the palace today. I could do with more supplies.”

“I see when you want me gone.” The liar stands. “Goodbye, Kurusu.”

“See you.”

Joker is far away. He’s not looking, but Goro watches the liar pause at the door and look back. 

An ounce, a morsel of regret flits across his face. And then he leaves. 

“How many times should I say sorry for what I’ve done?” Goro asks quietly. 

He doesn’t mean to start a fight, he just figures he should get an estimate now while he can. 

Joker just shrugs, wiping down the counter again with a laser focus. 

“You’re hiding behind the same masks you wore when I lived through these cognitions,” Goro sighs. “You’re digging up the past when it should stay buried and dead.”

“You’re just scared because of what comes next.”

Joker isn’t wrong. 

Goro is terrified about what Akira thinks about the interrogation room. Akira has never told him so directly. 

The cognition that appears doesn’t even sit down for a moment. There’s a click of a gun being cocked, forcing Goro to turn and watch it. 

Shido’s puppet, his gun, acting only in accordance with orders when he didn’t want this for himself. 

Joker moves around the corner with a smile that’s a little too real. He spins the puppet around, pressing a knife to his throat. 

“You could kill me,” the puppet says. 

“You could kill me,” Joker echoes. 

“Why don’t you?”

“Well why don’t  _ you?” _ Joker shoots back. 

“You should, before I kill you first.”

“I could say the exact same thing.” Joker presses the knife in, in until there’s a bead of blood that forms. “Is that what you want?”

“Hm, no. I just think it’s interesting. You knew. You knew, and you didn’t say anything. You didn’t stop me. Did you want me to do it? Did you want me to think I succeeded? Is that what love is for you?”

“I dunno. Maybe this was always my plan. Your palace forming, the change of heart, everything all the way up to you in my arms right now.”

“How romantic,” the puppet deadpans. “You should hate me, shouldn’t you?”

“Probably,” Joker mutters. “I think you’re just a bit mixed up.”

“I know my wrongs and my rights, please. I’m not a child. Don’t be so pathetic.” The puppet leans back against Joker and closes his eyes. “I’m not sorry.”

“You’re a liar.”

“Maybe.” His lips quirk up in the ghost of a smile. “Aren’t we both?”

They laugh at it together. 

“I have nothing left for you, Akira.” The puppet seizes Joker’s other hand and puts it around his throat. “I think...once I was a good person. But I stopped trying to be a long, long time ago. You make me want to try again, but it’s too late. You know that, you must know all this because the words are coming out of my mouth right now in your own mind. You keep forgetting who I am, who I was, who I might be. What if I turn on you again?”

Joker’s hand doesn’t squeeze. He makes no indication he has any intention of actually killing the puppet in his hands either. 

“You won’t.” 

The puppet twists easily from his hold and points the gun squarely at his forehead. 

“You need to stop assuming you have control when you don’t. This is all that gets you. Betrayal after betrayal!”

Akira takes the puppet’s free hand in his own and pulls them close together with a smile. They start to dance in the small space of Leblanc, a morbid dance where the puppet has a gun to Joker’s head and with a flick of his wrist and a flash of metal Joker has the knife to his back. 

“Don’t play games with me,” the puppet says. “I’m bored, Joker.”

He lays their foreheads together, sliding the barrel of his gun from Joker’s temple to the back of his head. 

“Oh? Couldn’t that kill you too, if the bullet goes through?” Joker asks, although he doesn’t make any move. 

“Perhaps.”

When Joker exchanges knife for gun and mirrors the gesture, a mad grin overtakes the puppet’s face. 

“Finally making things  _ interesting _ ,” he hisses. “Let’s make this our final dance, a sweet goodbye. Shoot!”

Two twin gunshots ring out in Leblanc. 

Two bodies crumple to the ground. 

“Akira!”

Goro holds out a hand at the jumping Phantom Thieves. He knows how this scene plays out. 

“He’s fine,” Goro assures them. “That’s how things went, aren’t they? Just wait.”

He watches the puppet laying on the floor like it’s strings were cut, blood pooling beneath it’s head and eyes wide and unseeing. Dead. 

But when he turns to look at Joker, he’s already sitting up and dusting himself off. 

“Unfortunate, isn’t it?” Joker asks him, stepping over the puppet’s body on his way back behind the counter. “That you failed there, and it was your downfall? It was why your palace developed, wasn’t it?”

The funny thing is, Goro doesn’t think anyone told Akira about Goro’s palace much. Certainly not about the development of it, because Goro doesn’t recall mentioning that to anyone. 

“Maybe.” Goro spares a glance down at the body. “Will that stay there?”

“No. He’ll disappear when the next cognition appears.”

The next cognition...well the next time Akira saw Goro was when he broke down in the attic after his change of heart. 

“Is that a cognition?” he asks. “From here on out, isn’t it just me?”

Joker swipes droplets of blood off the counter and there’s Goro. This one is sobbing, collapsing off from the barstool to the floor. This pathetic side that Goro showed them all that day. 

Akira really hoards this thing in his mind. This complete and utter mess. 

Joker moves back around the counter, and the mess reaches for him immediately. 

“Too bad I didn’t stay that way, huh?” Goro can’t help but spit. 

It’s the first time he’s really interrupted one of the scenes as it plays, and Joker only smiles faintly at him as he drops to comfort the mess that’s falling completely apart now. 

“Shh, Goro,” Joker murmurs. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay. I’ve got you now, it can be over.”

Joker is looking at him though. It makes Goro’s shoulders tense, and he feels like it’s wrong if he even tries to look away. So he doesn’t. 

“Akira,” the mess cries, clutching desperately onto Joker’s shirt. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay,” Joker assures him. “You’ve done so well, I’m so proud of you. Of course I forgive you, you’re part of the team now. It’ll be okay. I know you.”

Goro blushes, mortified at the idea that Akira...knows. Knows he craves that. 

The mess sobs in relief, dissipating in Joker’s arms like he fell apart so completely he just ceased to exist. 

“How does that make you feel?” Joker asks him frankly. 

“Let’s get this over with, please.”

Joker is looking at him so hopefully. But Goro doesn’t have any answer for him, let alone a good one, and he knows any attempt at soothing him with false words will be seen through immediately anyway. 

“No, tell me. I want to hear it. Consider it my final request, because of what’s coming next.”

“Joker.” Goro drags his hands down his face and sighs. “I feel...torn. Your cognitions aren’t necessarily wrong, they just...I don’t know what to feel, okay? You’ve given me a lot to think about, a lot of contradictions I need to untangle. I’ll tell you how I feel once we steal your treasure.”

“Too bad. I was really hoping to hear your response before it was too late.” Joker smiles at him, sad. “Goodbye, Goro.”

It seems like there’s more Joker wants to say to him, but then someone taps his shoulder. 

“Excuse me, you’re in my seat.”

Goro is unceremoniously shoved off the seat, and he stumbles barely to avoid falling on his ass. This Goro...he isn’t sure who this Goro is supposed to be. 

The cognition kneels on the stool he just occupied and grabs Joker by the chin, forcing him to look back at him. The whole room quiets. 

“Why are you talking to him?” his cognition asks. “Come on, talk to me. Praise  _ me _ .”

Goro’s heart twists in his chest. So this is Akira’s cognition of him. This desperate, pathetic thing? This is worse than the mess from before. 

“Crow, I’d do anything for you. Any burden you carry you can share with me.” Joker’s eyes are nothing but soft and sweet as he looks at the cognition. “I look up to you, although I’d still consider us equals as always. And Goro, this is the best approximation I could make of you. As wonderful as you are, the many different part of you come together rather volatile and I--”

This cognition, Crow, cuts Joker off rather violently, wrapping a hand around his throat to make him choke on the rest of his sentence. He pulls away quickly, but the action has quieted Joker already. 

Aggressive, impulsive. 

“I said talk to  _ me _ ,” Crow snaps. “Akira, please. I need your attention before our game.”

“What game?” Goro asks quietly. 

Crow looks at him, even as Joker trails his hands over Crow’s sleeves and pulls his gloves off. 

“Chess of course. You want my VIP pass, right?” Crow grins. “We play a game of chess for it. High stakes.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means, you would have to relive something fairly...hm nasty if you lose. There are real stakes, that’s all. You shouldn’t worry too much about the details. It would only distract you from the game.”

“What does that mean?” Goro repeats, trying to keep his tremble to his hands.

“You ask questions you don’t actually want to know the answer to. You should believe me.” Crow smiles faintly. “Just know that if you win, you get the pass, and no one else will fight you on your way to the treasure.”

“What if I lose?” Goro presses, clenching his hands into fists to try to calm himself down. 

“Don’t press it.”

“Tell me!”

“Then you’ll take this--“ Crow snatches the gun from his belt and dangles it in front of him, “and you’ll shoot Joker, effectively killing Akira in the real world. Triggering a mental shutdown.” 

“No.”

“If you won’t, I can do it myself right now.”

Goro grabs his gun back, full body tremors probably easily giving away how much his composure is failing him. 

Because even if he says no, he’s not going to get another offer for the pass. And if they don’t meet the deadline, Akira dies anyway. He’s backed into a corner, a carefully constructed corner for him. All along, all Joker’s confidence, it was entirely placed on this. That he knew Goro well enough to set this trap for him. 

And it worked perfectly. 

“I have to play? Specifically me?” Goro tries to confirm.

“Yes. A match between us.” Crow turns back to Joker and tugs his glasses off. “You know, it just isn’t fair, that last time it wasn’t real stakes.” 

“Last time?”

“When your plan failed, the threat wasn’t actually real, so Akira didn’t actually die as a result of your dreadfully wrong choice. This is fair. Now we play with the safety off.”

Goro doesn’t have a choice. The best he can do is pick an option where there’s at least some chance Akira survives. The trap is sprung, and they both know Goro has no other choice. 

But after everything, after Goro finally got Akira back in his life...maybe it would be better to wait it out to the end of the month for the deadline. Spend as much time as possible with Akira before it all comes to an end. That’s what Joker told them, initially, isn’t it? 

But he can’t face Akira and say that he just gave up either. That isn’t who he is, and that isn’t what Akira is expecting him to be. 

He can’t sit back and do nothing. 

“Okay,” he says. “Let’s play, then.”

Goro looks at the set up in the booth that Crow sets down, the clear but solid glass board and the pieces all laid out neatly.

Goro’s somehow been stuck with the black pieces, and Crow has the white ones. Goro knows he doesn’t have the authority to demand the white pieces. They sit across from each other at the table, and the other Phantom Thieves stand off to the side watching on nervously. Joker stands right at the end of the table, watching them intently. 

The tension in the air is so thick Goro can barely breathe. 

But it starts so easily, Crow moves a pawn to e4 and leans back to stare at Goro. 

“You can do it,” Joker tells Crow. “Take things slow and steady as always. I know you’ll win, just like I planned from the beginning.”

Goro breathes, in and out. 

And he moves one of his own pawns to d6. 

It’s such a simple first round, but the anxiety doesn’t lessen whatsoever. Actually, everything feels worse. 

Crow moves another pawn up to d4, next to his other. 

Goro has no idea what his plan is, really. He might be trying to play things safe, or trying to psych Goro out and make him overthink things. It’s too early to tell. 

He looks over the board, thinking over his next move. 

And then a stair creaks. And another. Footsteps come slowly down the stairs and Goro dreads what’s waiting for him when he turns his head to see who or what is coming downstairs. A bare foot hits one of the visible steps, and in a few more steps it becomes increasingly clear who this is. 

Akira steps into their view, adjusting his glasses and his hoodie when they all look at him. He pulls a face at the attention, but through it his eyes find Goro’s and he smiles. 

“Hey honey, I’m home,” he says softly. 

He’s quiet, but the entire room had fallen silent at his arrival. He walks over like this is entirely normal, and looks around at everything. He waves at his shadow, then takes a seat right next to Goro in the booth. 

“You’re a little late,” Goro chokes out. 

“Could you believe it, I was trying to find my hoodie forever,” Akira complains. “I didn’t want to come in any of my usual outfits, so you wouldn’t get me and my shadow mixed up. But it was all the way at the bottom of my box of stuff so I really had to dig for it. And then I couldn’t remember my own key words, I had to sit in my room guessing even though it should’ve been so easy to remember. Silly, isn’t it?”

“Yes. But that’s besides the point, I thought you…”

“Don’t mention it, really. I just. I just wanted to be here to support you. In case anything happened, you know.”

“I’m glad you’re here then.”

“Excuse me?” Crow hits the table to get his attention. “It’s your move, loverboy. Joker, why’d you let that one in here too? He won’t play with me like you do.”

Joker just stares Akira down wordlessly. 

So Goro plays aggressively like he is inclined to do. He moves one of his knights out, the one on his leftmost side, to f6. He’s still playing back a little in comparison to Crow who has his pieces slightly further out. It’s still too early to see his playstyle much, to make any decisions about how he should play or where he should be positioned. 

He should know, since this is him. 

“Very interesting,” Joker says. “Goro did you know I think you’re the prettiest person I’ve ever gotten to lay my eyes on?”

“What?” Goro asks, almost missing Crow’s move out of shock. 

Akira snorts from next to him. 

Crow has moved one of his own knights to c3. And as he does, he makes eye contact with Goro, and he grins. 

This freaks Goro right out, but he still steps back to think about things. Crow is likely just trying to get in his head. He has to stay calm and play like he normally would. There’s no way he’ll win if he lets himself get distracted. Especially not by Joker, who seems to be actively trying to distract him. 

“I mean he’s definitely telling the truth,” Akira says as he’s trying to think of his next move. 

“You aren’t helping,” Goro hisses. “I’m trying to focus.”

“Move a pawn out,” Akira offers. “I’m just saying I thought my shadow would be lying a lot, but so far that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

And Goro moves a pawn to g6. Now they’ve both moved two pawns and a knight out. It’s too early to start thinking about getting to Crow’s king, but it is true that there’s an opening in a very roundabout way. Nothing Goro would dare try while it’s so early, but something to note. That Crow overextends. 

It’s something he can barely think enough to see, considering it’s so far very distracting having Akira sitting next to him and Joker watching him. 

“What a slow start,” Crow comments, moving a bishop out to e3. “This will be a long game won’t it?“

“Really adds the suspense, doesn’t it?” Joker leans on the table. “I mean Goro, are you really sure you want to bother? You can just forfeit now, give up. I’ll give you a nice reward if you do.”

“I can give him a reward if he wins, too,” Akira snaps back. “Leave him alone. I never knew I could be so  _ annoying _ .”

“Oh that’s cute. What’s your idea of a reward, some free coffee and curry? Goro, who would you prefer?”

Goro doesn’t bother with a response. He just moves one of his own bishops a bit too, but not really out. Just to g7. 

He’s mostly responding to Crow’s movements rather than making his own moves. He’s trying his absolute hardest to ignore everything else. He doubts this will be an easy game, even without the distractions. 

And then Crow sighs. 

“Come on, Detective. Let’s make things interesting.” Crow plucks his queen up and moves her to d2, forward just the tiniest bit. “Won’t you join me?”

“Yeah, Detective.” Joker slides into the seat next to Crow. “Entertain me.”

“I swear I don’t actually call you that this much do I?” Akira asks, eyes scanning the board. “Don’t take the bait, just play it safe.”

Goro refuses to take the bait. He moves another pawn to c6. 

Crow moves one of his pawns to f3.

Goro moves a pawn to b5. 

Crow moves a knight to e2.

Goro moves a knight to d7.

Nobody has taken a piece yet, and the tension won’t break. If somebody doesn’t draw first blood here soon Goro is afraid he’ll somehow get backed into a corner. It doesn’t matter who takes it, he just can’t stand this tension. 

Joker drapes himself over Crow and leans in to whisper something in his ear. 

And then Crow moves his bishop all the way to h6, up entirely in Goro’s side of the board now. 

With a deep breath, Goro moves a bishop to h6, taking Crow’s piece and setting it off to the side.

Did Crow not see that his bishop was in line, or did he bait that move?

Crow laughs. 

“You’re so predictable.” Joker is the one to move Crow’s queen to h6, snatching Goro’s bishop up to set it aside. “I know you better than anything, Detective. You’ll never win this game. See, you know I think you’re intelligent, but it’s probably a bit distorted. I know I place you higher on a pedestal than you are, so I know you can’t win. You should give up. I promise you, this is what Akira and I deserve.”

A trade, then. 

Goro doesn’t think about Joker, about what he’s saying. It’s all to get in his head, he knows that. It’s fine, he can win this. Akira is sitting right next to him, he’s not about to lose and have to...it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter, because he won’t lose. 

Goro looks out over the board and feels like going for Crow’s queen is what he’s expecting. He can’t quite see what the plan would be if he did, but he just moves a bishop to b7. 

“Back to safe huh?” Crow moves a pawn to a3. “I thought you’d be more aggressive than this. Joker, he's being so  _ boring _ . I’m bored already. Can’t you make this more interesting?”

“I mean I could,” Joker purrs at him. “But you aren’t looking at me, and you know how I feel about attention.”

“Oh I can certainly give you attention if you’ll entertain me for it.” Crow tilts his head to look at Joker. “See? I’m only looking at you, now. Take your damn turn, Detective. Will you keep me waiting all night?”

Goro doesn’t humor him with an answer. He just moves a pawn to e5.

Crow starts to look back at the board to take his turn, but Joker quickly stops him. They hold eye contact for a moment and Goro awkwardly casts a glance at Akira. But Akira isn’t looking at him, he’s watching Joker and Crow. 

Joker moves Crow’s king to c1, and his rook to d1 in a castle move. And it’s such a classic move Akira would pull. He barely looks at the board for a second when he does it. Based on how he was acting, Goro was sure he wasn’t paying attention. But it’s clear he’s as in this game as Goro and Crow are. 

“Akira, I...okay.” Goro shakes his head. “Nevermind. Any suggestions here?”

“With Crow’s queen this close now, and your king fairly well protected, I would figure you can afford to start moving your own queen,” Akira offers. “Are we going to ignore those two?”

“For the most part? I’m ignoring them, yes.”

“That’s a feat, I haven’t been able to ignore them a single time yet. Guess I’ll have to try harder.”

He moves his queen to e7, basically trying to set himself up to get up near Crow’s back line with it. 

Crow immediately moves his king over to b1. 

Goro moves a pawn to a6. 

Crow moves his knight back to c3. 

Goro flicks his eyes over to his king, and takes stock of where Crow has his pieces set up. 

“You can castle,” Akira murmurs. 

Goro has no idea how Akira can always seem to see that, but...

He castles too, moving his king to c8, and his rook to d8.

He usually doesn’t take advantage of that often, but Akira does it a lot in their matches and he’s pretty good at spotting those good opportunities. 

“This is getting interesting,” Crow says, sounding genuinely giddy. “Still only down one piece each though.”

“Usually it’s a slow start, then all at once,” Goro finds himself commenting.

He shouldn’t be humoring either of them, judging by how Joker’s eyes light up immediately. 

“Akira.” Joker leans over the table and gets in Akira’s face. “Hey, stop looking so uptight like that! You seem to tense, you’re going to freak poor Goro out. You should be supporting him here you know. Encourage him, give him a little...motivation.”

“Can you stop with the comments?  _ You’re  _ going to freak him out.”

“That’s what you think.” Joker winks at him. “But I bet he likes it. He’s all red, clearly getting flustered.”

“Joker, eyes on me,” Crow commands. “I need you for this move.”

In a moment, they’re back over each other and Akira sighs. 

“Are we that insufferable?” Goro asks, still waiting for Crow’s move. 

Akira laughs, leaning a bit closer to him as he scans over the board.

“Probably,” he answers after a moment. 

Crow moves a knight to b3.

Goro moves a pawn to d4, and takes one of Crow’s pawns. 

As Goro expected, Crow moves his rook to d4 and takes Goro’s pawn.

Another trade.

“We’re fairly evenly matched.” Crow straightens the downed pieces on either side of the board. “This is fun.”

“We are one and the same.” Goro moves a pawn to c5. “It makes sense we’re neck and neck.”

“Except my Crow is more, better.” Joker cozies up at his side. “He’s everything to me. Does that get under your skin, dear Detective?”

It does, just a little bit. 

“No,” he lies. “Get on with the game, please.”

Crow moves his rook back to d1.

Goro moves a knight to b6.

Crow moves a pawn to g3.

Goro moves his king over to b8.

“You aren’t going to take any risks?” Crow asks him casually, moving his knight all the way to a5. 

Goro slides his bishop back to a8.

Now he’s being chased. 

“I really can’t.”

“That does make sense!” Crow laughs. “A risk free game is so utterly dull. Joker, why do I have to play this? I wish  _ we  _ could play. You always make things so interesting for me.”

“Ah, I know. You know I love playing with you, but this is important. The final game, you know? The most important one, and you have to play it because I know you’ll win. You’re the only one who can.”

“Oh I know that. I just like to hear you sing my praises.” Crow moves a bishop to h3. “Please, continue. It motivates me.”

“Well,  _ honey,  _ the whole palace is designed around you, of course, as the final act. Just like real life! I don’t think there’s higher praise than that.” Joker laughs. “Aw, Detective, you seem a little distracted now. Don’t tell me you’re actually getting flustered from this?”

“Goro, ignore him. The game,” Akira reminds him. 

Goro moves a pawn to d5. 

And Crow pulls his queen down to f4. 

Goro hopes if he ignores Joker some more, he’ll eventually get bored and stop talking to him. He needs to focus on the game, especially because he’s quickly losing any upper hand he may have had. Crow’s positioning is really good, leaving very little openings for him to exploit. 

He knows this is going to be a long game, but he’s starting to worry about the outcome already now.

“You’re playing well too,” Goro points out, king to a7 away from Crow’s Queen. 

“You pay attention more than I thought you would.”

“I can’t afford to miss anything.”

“He’s playing a fool’s game,” Joker sighs, seemingly trying to get onto Crow’s lap. 

Crow shrugs, peering around him to move his rook to e1.

“Pay attention to me,” Joker complains, taking hold of his face to jerk him into place. “You’re such a bastard, I know that was on purpose. You should only be looking at me, I can’t believe you’d taunt the others so much. That’s supposed to be our thing.”

“Well, my apologies. I have to win this game for you don’t I? Send you off to your execution, you know?” Crow holds up two fingers to Joker’s forehead. “ _ Bang _ . Doesn’t it make you nostalgic?”

“Goro, it’s your move,” Akira murmurs. 

Goro moves, pawn to d4.

He remembers, faintly, that the rest of the thieves are watching. That they’re counting on him, that the stakes in this are higher stakes than Goro has ever had in his life. Akira is sitting right next to him. He shouldn’t be paying too much attention to these two, just the mirror of him and Akira, living in Akira’s mind. 

But he can't stop paying attention. They demand it, winning it over in little ways just by speaking. 

Akira had said he can’t ignore them, and Goro is trying his best to hide it, but he can’t either. 

And when Crow moves, knight to d5. Goro has to lend his attention there. There’s no other option, he has to watch his moves so he can stay in the game. 

But Goro has to focus again, moving his own knight to d5 to capture Crow’s. 

And Crow moves a pawn to d5 and captures Goro’s knight. 

Yet another trade. Fair trades, back and forth. 

Goro moves his queen to d6. 

Up Crow’s rook comes to d4 to capture one of Goro’s pawns. 

But after a moment, Goro moves one of his pawns to d4 as well, taking Crow’s rook.

And for the first time, it’s an unequal trade.

“Aw, that was a little slip,” Joker comments. “What’s all that about, Crow?”

“Oh, I’m only making the game more interesting,” Crow responds smoothly. “We’re both rather bored, aren’t we? I’m only providing us with some entertainment before our win. I’m sure you can approve of the dramatics?”

“Of course. Don’t get too out of control, though.”

Crow moves, rook to e7. But Goro can tell he didn’t actually intend for that move to go that way.

Goro grins. He can’t help it, any bit of an upper hand, he wants to take it. Seize the opportunity. 

“I got one over on you,” he says, already moving his king away to b6. “You’re mad too, chasing my king now.”

“Whatever,” Crow spits, queen to d4 to take a pawn. “It’s one piece. I can take pieces too, you know.”

“So can I.” Goro moves his king to a5 and takes Crow’s knight.

It’s unequal again. 

Crow is out of knights, and down to one bishop and one rook. 

Goro has both rooks, and one bishop and one knight. 

“Crow, calm,” Joker commands coolly. “There’s no reason to get worked up. The difference in pieces isn’t a big enough advantage for you to be losing it like this.”

“You’re right. He’s just infuriating to look at.”

“Then look at me.”

Crow does, locking eyes with Joker. The tension in his shoulders melts after a moment. Again, Goro is surprised at how much Akira really knows him. It’s a mortifying ordeal, to be known. 

Joker moves for Crow, pawn to b4.

Goro inches his king forward to a4.

“I’m fine. I have a plan,” Crow says. “Are you ready to see me win?”

“Always.”

Crow moves his queen back to c3, pretty much exactly what Goro knew he would do.

Goro moves his queen to d5 to take a pawn. 

Crow moves his rook to a7.

Goro moves his bishop to b7.

Crow takes his bishop with his rook. That’s to be expected. 

Goro’s queen to c4.

Crow’s queen f6, taking a knight.

It’s still fairly even, but it feels like Crow is taking his turns faster now and getting slightly annoyed with Goro. He isn’t even making conversation anymore. No taunting, no bickering, nothing but the sound of chess pieces hitting the glass board. There’s an intense focus that wasn’t there before, and it’s slightly worrying. 

“Goro, calm,” Akira commands, setting a hand over his before he tries to move. “Don’t let him rush you. Think.”

Akira moves his king to a3 and takes a pawn.

“That king is moving an awful lot,” Crow comments, queen to a6 to take a pawn. “I thought you were all about playing safe? I mean what are these risks about?”

“It’s just chess.” King to b4, taking another pawn. “Risks are usually necessary.”

Crow inches his pawn to c3. 

Surely he knows this, that Goro will move his king right to c3 to take it.

And Crow’s queen to a1.

Goro’s king to d2.

Crow’s queen to b2. 

Cat and mouse.

Goro’s king to d1.

Crow’s bishop to f1.

Goro’s rook to d2.

Crow’s rook to d7.

And Goro can’t resist but to move his rook to d7 to take it.

And then Crow’s bishop moves to c4 and takes his queen.

“Damn,” he mutters. 

He’d forgotten the bishop was even there. And losing his queen is not a good thing. 

“That’s my Crow,” Joker praises. “Getting rid of his queen? We could practically call this won.”

“Goro. Don’t listen,” Akira soothes him. “We haven’t lost yet.”

Still, pawn to c4 to take the bishop. It still isn’t lost. They’re only trying to make him lose hope. 

Crow’s queen to h8, taking his rook.

They’re getting down to the wire now, and Goro finds his hands trembling. Goro has more pieces on the board, but he’s lost his queen. He does still have a rook at least, but they’re running out of ways to stall here. He needs a plan, and he needs a plan now. But when he looks to Akira, he looks just as confused. His eyes scour the board, but no light seems to go off. 

“Goro,” Akira says. “If you can’t win...it’s okay. Don’t worry. Just do your best. Whatever happens, it’s okay.”

He moves his rook away to d3. 

Crow moves his queen to a8.

And Goro moves a pawn to c3. He’s starting to develop a half baked plan here. If he can just get his pawn to the end, he could salvage this. 

Crow’s queen goes to a4, which is expected. Goro just moves his king away to e1.

“Is your gun loaded, Detective?” Crow asks him, pawn to f4.

“It is.” Pawn to f5. “Why?”

“Because, it’s almost over.” Crow is smiling, king to c1. “The game wasn’t as thrilling as I would’ve liked, but I’m excited to see the consequences play out.”

“I wonder which one of us he should shoot.” Joker pulls away from Crow to grab at Akira. “Hey Akira! What do you think? Which one of us should he shoot?”

Akira rips his hand away and looks at Goro. 

“Hey, it’s okay. Really. You don’t have to do this.”

And then Goro moves his rook to d2.

And Crow moves his queen to a7.

“It’s bad etiquette to keep playing in a hopeless situation,” Crow says to him. “Do I really have to beat you into checkmate?” 

He should’ve forfeited a few turns ago. The most Goro can do is run away for a few turns. He’s sure they can all see this by now, but he doesn’t want to say it out loud. 

The moment he lost his queen really, he should’ve played back then. He got too cocky because it felt like Crow was on defense. He should’ve calmed down. He should’ve…

Well it was lost from the beginning, wasn’t it? Crow is him, just more. Joker said that from the moment they stepped into the room. 

The king blocks Goro’s pawn, which was his half plan at a counter play. He can’t make any move against Crow right now that wouldn’t be punished, and he’s being threatened at the same time with a checkmate. 

“I...” Goro thinks, really thinks, as hard as he can. “I don’t see any possible way out, no.”

“It’s over then, hm?”

“Goro.” Akira stops his hand from trying to take another turn. “It’s okay. You can let go.”

“I...” Goro starts to shake his head, but it’s useless. “I forfeit.”

Goro buries his face in his hands and starts to cry. It’s all he can do for the longest moment. 

Crow pats his shoulder condescendingly.

“Oh don’t worry, Akira should’ve been dead anyway. What’s the harm?”

He’s being guided to stand, hands ripped from his eyes. It’s not Joker the palace leader anymore, rather he’s back to his everyday clothes. He’s sitting on a barstool casually. His eyes are yellow, and Akira is standing next to him, hands buried in his pants pockets. The only difference between them now is the color of their eyes. 

“You lost huh?” Joker asks, sighing. “It’s alright, you know I won’t ever blame you. Thank you for acting exactly according to plan.”

“It’s okay, Goro,” Akira assures him. “I thought this might be how it goes. I told you, no matter what it’s okay. I forgive you.”

His gun is pressed into his palm, Crow settling behind him, hands tightly holding his own in place. 

“Let’s shoot them both. Let’s behead the King first. Any last words, Joker?”

“Hmm...nothing comes to mind. I hope everyone enjoyed the show.” He stands for bow. “But that’s all she wrote.”

“No!” Goro jerks the gun to the side as Crow squeezes his finger over the trigger.

The gun goes off with a resounding bang. Goro pants, shaking his head frantically as Crow swears. 

“Don’t be a sore loser!” he complains. “I’ll just do it myself if you don’t. And I’ll find great joy in doing so as well.”

“No,” Goro argues. “All or nothing. Rematch. Whatever you want, I’ll do it. I can win!”

“How about...both of your lives then!” Crow levels the gun at his own head now. “If you win, you both can pass. If you lose, all four of us can lose our lives here! This will become our tomb!”

“Deal,” Goro agrees, easily. 

“Oh that was  _ not  _ the deal.” Joker comes over to snatch the gun away. “This is my head, my palace. I die here! Not Goro!”

Akira’s eyes turn panicky. But he doesn’t say anything, seemingly incapable of speech now even as his shadow gets riled, gets furious. 

“Then you shouldn’t have made me such an accurate manifestation now, huh?” Crow looks down on him with a grin. “Don’t blame me for your shortcomings, Joker. You should’ve known I would turn on you. It’s in  _ your  _ cognition. Goro! Let’s fight. Akira hasn’t seen Loki in action, which means I don’t have him, so I feel it would be unfair to use personas. But I suppose that’s up to him.”

“Of course you’ll use personas,” Joker spits. “You cheated, I think he gets to too now.”

“Aw Joker, don’t tell me you’re that mad at me? I thought we really had something. Live together, die together.”

“Shut up. Let’s get this over with.”

The fight starts quicker than Goro would’ve liked. Normally he would want time to think things over, be able to form some sort of strategy. But Crow doesn’t give him a breath before he summons Robin Hood. This should be fine, at least that’s what he hopes for. 

Akira never knew about Loki, and that should do nothing but help him here. Loki is more powerful than Robin Hood. 

But when Crow hits him, it burns. It hurts way more than it should have any right to. He blinks blurriness out of his eyes and struggles to get up again and fight back. He’s more than aware that they’re going to hit each other right in their weaknesses. Goro holds onto the thought that his hits will just be harder. Robin Hood is weak to curse, and Loki is weak to bless. Robin Hood has good bless skills, and Loki has good curse ones. They cancel each other out like that. 

Goro gets back up, and he fights. A curse skill, of course. He sees the wince, how Crow staggers back, every way in which he knows they’re both getting beat up. 

And then, he gets lucky. He sees where the hit is going to go as it comes towards him, and he dodges. He thinks he hears someone cheer from the sidelines, but he tries to just focus as he doesn’t give Crow a second to breathe. He can’t let him see the attack coming. And he gets a hit in where Crow missed. An unequal exchange, and when they’re so evenly matched, that means everything. 

He fights for Akira’s life, plain and simple. He hits with every bit of energy he has and then some. Every hit that knocks him down only fuels him to stand and hit back harder. He doesn’t have a choice. They each dodge some hits, get some extra damage in, win and lose certain exchanges. It’s so close. It feels so close, the whole time. 

But there has to be a winner. 

And it has to be him, he’s said this whole time that there’s no way he can lose. They have to be victorious, because Akira is the most important thing and Goro doesn’t want to say goodbye to him. He doesn’t want to be another version of himself that says goodbye. 

But it isn’t Goro. He’s the one who runs into exhaustion first. He’s used up so much energy that he can’t even for a moment try to get up again. He doesn’t even have the strength to cry again despite the grief he feels. 

“Checkmate!” Crow cheers. “Even your pathetic last ditch effort failed. Well we should dispose of ourselves quickly, now.”

The gun is in his hands again. 

“Akira, I’m so sorry,” he manages. “I tried so hard, I don’t...I should’ve been able to do it! I’m so sorry, I couldn’t.”

He’s still on the ground, unable to struggle into a standing position. Crow is trying to guide his hands, but he’s doing his best to fight it. There has to be something he can do. Another last ditch effort. 

But what else does he have left to gamble? This is all he feels he is sometimes. The four of them. Goro and Crow, Akira and Joker. They’re all already here. 

“It’s okay,” Akira assures him. “Hey, really. I know you did your best, and I wouldn’t ever blame you for your all not being enough. It’s all we could’ve done. You need to let it go, the inevitable. Better by your hands than...I love you, you know? I’m sorry for telling you like this.”

Goro wants to say it back. He means to, he’s opening his mouth to when Crow’s hands steady his and pull the trigger. 

It’s Akira who crumbles to the floor, bullet wound on his forehead leaking blood steadily. A pool quickly forms below his head. It’s too familiar an image. 

Crow let’s go of him, so he lets go of the gun. 

And himself. 

Akira is close enough for him to touch. So he gets a good grip and pulls his head into his lap to look at the wound. But he can feel the wetness on the back of his head, and knows it went straight through. He’s not moving, not breathing, and Goro knows it’s too late. Someone makes a pained noise, someone screams, Goro can faintly hear some people crying.

He’s frozen. Static plays through his head. 

He starts to cry, as the shock fades into pure and hot pain. This is what he was missing, in the interrogation room. The capacity to feel this weight, but now he feels it far too much. 

“Kill me too,” he begs Crow. “Kill me too! Now!”

“That was our deal.” Crow presses his gun against the back of his head. “I’m done here. This is where our story ends.”

Goro closes his eyes, relief flowing through him. Live together, die together. 

At least this pain won’t last long. 

There’s a gunshot, but Goro doesn’t feel a thing. And he hears the gunshot, he realizes quickly. His ears ring, and he looks up, only to see Crow with shock frozen over his face. 

“I’m sorry, Crow. I didn’t want to do this, but you can’t touch him.” Joker is still holding his pistol, aimed squarely at Crow. “This is my palace, to the very end. And he lives at the end of my story.”

Crow disappears, but he doesn’t leave behind a mask like the others. 

Instead it’s a weight on his own face, which he immediately rips off. A mask so clearly labeled  _ Fatal Flaw. _

It’s different here. If this isn’t the mask Akira wears, then...

Goro picks up the abandoned gun and shoots the mask, then turns the gun on himself.

“No!” Joker wrestles the gun out of his hand with more strength than he can resist. “No! I’m not losing the both of you! I killed him for you, so you live! I’m begging you not to throw that away. I’m begging you to live for me. My final wish, that’s what it is. You won’t say no, will you?”

“I…”

What harm is there in promising something to a dying man? It’s not as if Akira will be around to keep him to it. To hold him to such a deal. 

Goro wraps Akira up in both his arms and pulls him up, cradling him to his chest. He’s entirely limp, dead weight. But his body is still warm, and if Goro closes his eyes he can maybe pretend Akira is just sleeping. 

But he isn’t. All that’s left of him right now is the shadow in front of him. 

“I will,” Goro lies. 

“Thank you.” Joker’s relief is palpable. “I’m sorry things had to end this way, everyone. In a few moments the palace should begin dissipating--”

“You’re all useless.”

Goro feels the ground underneath him soften, and then a breath fans across his neck. 

He snaps his eyes open, looking down at the patch of grass and flowers below him. 

Akira’s weight lessens, and he sits up, rubbing his head and coughing. 

“Ouch,” he mutters. “My head hurts.”

Makoto...no. The cognition of her, too put together, stands above them. 

“Good thing I decided to take that trade,” she says. “We all waited in the attic. Figures Crow would pull something like that. Are you all done now? Secure the route to the treasure already and let’s get this over with.”

Goro’s entire body shakes, in a relief he feels so deeply inside him that he can’t even think. 

Akira is alive. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. They did it, even though he ruined everything. Even though he had to...it’s still okay. 

Ann helps him up, pulling him close to her in a hug he can’t think about more than leaning into it. She gently runs her hand over the back of his head, and doesn’t let go.

He didn’t think she cared so much. 

After everything, they’re still going to comfort him? 

“Let’s go,” Akira says. 

Goro peels away from Ann just to look at him. Alive, breathing, in front of them. Blinking passively, but seemingly okay considering he came back from the dead. 

And Joker stands by the exit of Leblanc, just as fine now, starting to open it for them. He looks just the same as Akira now, although the yellow eyes give away that it isn’t really him. Still the palace leader. As much of a distinction as Goro tried to make between them, they are rather similar. 

“Where?”

“To the treasure room.” Joker throws open the door. “So you can finish your route. If keeping Goro alive means you leave with the treasure, take it. If it's to live together or die together...I’d rather this.”

Goro couldn’t care any less about the treasure right now. But he lets Ann help him walk straight into the room. It just opens into Akira’s room. Which is odd, considering the stairs to the attic should be behind them. The treasure glows faintly from his work table. 

Goro thinks about calling that they should go back, but his voice isn’t working, he really can’t do anything besides just nod to Ann when she asks if he’s alright. 

He thinks Akira is with Ryuji or Yusuke, probably being supported just as heavily. They’re both probably messes for vastly different reasons. 

“Why don’t you head back?” Joker is the one who offers. “Go home. I’m sure you all need it.”

Makoto’s the only one who can pull herself together enough to bring them all en route for the real world.

Once the dizziness fades, Goro can’t do much more than slowly lower himself to the ground. 

He’s shot Akira in the head twice now. And one of those times, he really actually almost killed Akira.

No wonder Akira sees him as his fatal flaw. 

All because he lost some stupid chess game. Made a bet he couldn’t follow through on and lost a fight too. He couldn’t win either contest, and he put Akira’s life on the line because of his own incompetence. He gambled too much and still lost it all. 

“Goro?”

Goro looks up, half numb. Akira is buried where he sits on the couch, Ann and Ryuji especially tucked up right as close as they can get. Makoto just sits by him, watching like she’s worried he’ll disappear somewhere. Haru has her arms wrapped around his shoulders, face buried in the top of his head. Yusuke kneels on the ground in front of him, Akira’s hands cradled in his own. Futaba sits on the bed, but she’s staring him down. 

“Yeah?” he mutters.

“Did you want to join in this at all? I’m sure out of everyone, you would need it the most.”

“I can’t move,” Goro admits. “I genuinely can’t feel my legs. I...I lost the match and. And.”

But Goro can’t gather his thoughts coherently enough whatsoever to say anything else.

“It’s late, everyone,” Akira reminds them gently. “And you’ve got a heart to steal tomorrow.”

“We just all wanted to...make sure you were okay,” Makoto says, standing. “We’ll tell you about it all more once it’s over. I’ll head home now. Would anyone like to accompany me?”

Haru and Yusuke peel themselves away, saying their goodbyes before following Makoto out.

Ann and Ryuji haven’t moved an inch. 

But after a moment, Ann gets up. She walks over to Goro and sits with him, tucking herself against his side and holding him closely and tightly. 

“Thank you,” he tells her through the lump in his throat.

“You did your best,” she says. “Really. And everything worked out. Please don’t beat yourself up over it.”

She kisses his cheek before standing and waiting by the staircase.

Eventually, after Ryuji and Akira speak to each other in hushed tones for some time, Ryuji gets up to go after Ann. 

“Futaba?” Ann prompts.

“No,” she says. “No, not yet.”

So Ann and Ryuji leave. 

That’s when Akira stands up, probably to come help Goro up.

But Futaba is at his side first, half tackling him in a hug.

He chokes, and starts to cry. That’s the last thing he deserves. Any hint of forgiveness from her, or sympathy, or even pity. But he’s too weak to push her away. 

It’s a release of emotions that Futaba’s arms stay firmly around him for the entirety of. 

Until his well runs dry and he’s left feeling exhausted and empty.

“Akira?”

“Yeah Futaba?”

“Look after him. I just...I just think someone should watch him.”

“Why?”

“It’s not something I should say. It...I mean I’m sure you could guess.” Futaba is pulling away from him now. “You alright there?”

“Better,” he admits, hoarsely. “Thank you. I...I’m sure you don’t want to hear it, but--”

“Leave it at thank you,” she interrupts. “And look after him too, okay?”

“You know I will. Thank you, again.”

And she ruffles his hair almost affectionately, before she leaves too.

Akira helps him off of the floor and into his bed.

“You want to talk about anything?”

Goro settles into Akira’s bed, entirely relaxed. It smells like Akira. It’s warm, and they’re both alive. 

“She wants you to watch me because I tried to kill myself, after I shot you,” he admits.

“What?”

“I tried to kill myself, in the palace. Joker shot Crow, but I still tried. That’s why.”

“I...Goro.”

“Yeah your palace is super fucked up. I expected my room to be pretty bad, but that was next level.” Goro is so delirious he’s joking about it. “I killed you. For real.”

“I’m fine though.”

“Yeah, because...I got lucky. Someone else had a solution. You had to save me again, your own shadow. I’m just...I’m tired.”

Akira climbs into bed with him though, taking Goro’s hand to lay over his chest.

“But I’m alive.”

“You’re alive,” Goro echoes. “Yeah. I’ll be fine, it’s just...it was rough.”

“And you’re alive.” Akira rests his hand over Goro’s chest too. 

“Yeah, I’m alive.”

“Go to sleep, you’ve had enough for the day.”

“Wait, wait. Kurusu Akira, the Phantom Thieves are going to steal your heart tomorrow. Corrupt by your incorrect cognitions of the people around you, we’ll...” Goro yawns, “save you from that. I really am tired.”

“Go to sleep.”

“I had to send the calling card.”

“I’m well aware my heart is being stolen, thank you.”

There’s a long moment of silence, and then Goro can’t stop himself from the question. 

“Did you mean what you said, then?”

“When?”

“Right before, when. You know.”

“Oh that I love you? Yes, that would be true.”

“Oh.” Goro flinches. “I meant...before. Better my hands than...what were you going to say? Yours?”

Akira quiets. For a second they lay there breathing together. 

“Yes, but what does it matter? You’re stealing that tomorrow. Even if you didn’t...things are different. I have to look after you, don’t I?” 

Goro knows that’s the best he’s going to get for now. So he settles close to Akira, feeling his heart pump steadily underneath his hand.

“You ready to sleep?” Akira asks. 

“Yes. I meant to say it back, too. I just. It happened so fast.” Goro breathes. “I love you too, I mean. I’m sorry.”

“Goro, it’s alright. Just go to sleep.”

And he lets his eyes close, and allows sleep to take him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW. Final word count for this chapter was 11.2k words. That's like a fifth of the total word count!  
> There's one more piece in Act 2 to tie Akira's palace up and then Act 3 is coming up(you'll see what it'll be in the next chapter ;) )


	17. Act 2, Scene 9: Six of Clubs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six of Wands(Clubs). “Je n’ai pas peur” “I am not afraid.” You have fought your way up and now it’s time to be recognized for all your work. The red flag is a symbol of your personal pride in your accomplishments. The honeybees are tokens of productivity and hard work. Thistles represent the struggles along your path. The bluebird has mastered navigation, and so have you.  
> Deserved victory.

Goro looks over at Akira as he sleeps soundly in bed. He looks exhausted, and Goro doesn’t doubt he stayed up as long as he could to watch over him. Although, it’s unfortunate that he was so tired out he just ended up sleeping. He wanted to make sure Akira slept well too, that he felt safe enough to after everything that happened. That he didn’t do anything rash just because Goro was safe. In the end, the things they saw in that room only cemented the fact that Akira felt so hopeless…

Hopefully he’s able to rest a while, and when he wakes up all that weight on him will be gone. 

Nobody has arrived yet for the infiltration, but Goro can’t complain. He can’t feel too bad about it, the sun has hardly begun to rise at this point. Besides, any stolen moment where he can stare so openly at Akira is welcome to him. 

The infiltration shouldn’t take long, considering Akira’s shadow seemed to be working with them there at the end. He can’t imagine there will be any more fighting. But he also doesn’t want to let his guard down. No matter what, they’ll do this today. Save Akira, rescue him from his mind. 

He does wonder what Akira’s treasure is though. 

It’s like that, as he watches over Akira as he sleeps, that the others start to arrive. When he hears footsteps, he has to jerk away from him and try to look presentable. Even though he slept in his clothes and his hair is definitely a mess. 

“Goro, good morning.” Yusuke pokes up from the stairs. “Oh is Akira still sleeping?”

“Yes. Have you seen the others, Kitagawa?”

“Not yet, no.” Yusuke sits at Akira’s work table and fiddles with the clutter on it. “I heard from Ryuji and Ann that they were on their way though. How did you get here so early?”

“Ah, I didn’t leave last night. Sakura was pretty adamant that Akira watched over me.”

“Oh I’m glad. I have to admit I was a little worried as well, but I figured Akira would take care of you.”

Goro starts to say something on that, when Futaba herself walks up the stairs. Her eyes burn into him, scanning him up and down before she calmly walks over and sits sort of close to him. 

“Good, you’re both in one piece,” she says.

“Aw, you worried about me,” he teases as gently as he can.

He wants to see if he’s allowed. Test exactly how much she tolerates him after what happened before. 

She blushes red and smacks the back of his head.

“No I didn’t psycho. We just need you for the infiltration today. Obviously I was worried about Akira, not you.”

“But last night—“

“Last night didn’t happen,” she says firmly. “Shut up.”

But he smiles, and after a minute she stops pouting and half smiles back. It’s more than he deserves, but he tries to feel grateful for it anyway. 

“I’ll be quiet now then, Sakura.”

“Ew. Why are you doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“Calling me by my last name.” Futaba fake gags. “It’s weird.”

“You call me by my last name too, it’s not weird.”

“It’s super weird, I don’t call you by your last name anyway. I just call you psycho. Cuz that’s what you are.”

“That isn’t weird?”

“Nope. Call me Futaba like everyone else. We’re all on a first name basis.”

“Well...but I’m—“

“Shut up Goro.” She shoves him. “All of us, including you.”

“Alright alright. Sorry...Futaba.”

Seemingly satisfied, Futaba leans back and rests her head on her knees, half falling asleep.

He wonders if she’s starting to forgive him, even. He didn’t think he’d ever get that, not from her or Haru at least. 

He wants to remind her, convince her she’s wrong in doing it. But it’s her decision, and Goro doesn’t want to insult her by questioning that. 

“You do in fact have my permission to call me by my given name, but I won’t bully you into it if you don’t want to,” Yusuke speaks up.

“I’m not  _ bullying  _ him,” Futaba argues. 

“Then what are you doing?”

“Encouraging him!”

Goro finds himself laughing, then quieting when Akira shifts and groans in his sleep. 

“Whoops,” Futaba murmurs. “I forgot he was there. Usually he’s so goddamn loud.”

“Who are we talking about?” Ann asks as she stomps into the room. 

“Shh,” Goro warns. “Akira is still sleeping. I ask you don’t wake him, please.”

Ryuji is following behind her, and he glances over at Akira and snorts.

“He’s drooling,” he says, leaning against the railing. “What a loser.”

“Why’s Ann all mad?” Futaba mutters.

“Oh because I wouldn’t let her stop for crepes,” Ryuji explains. “I don’t know if she’ll ever forgive me, frankly. Even though we have much more important things to do.”

“I won’t,” Ann insists. “That was extremely rude. I’m starving. Akira is still sleeping too.”

But she still walks over to him and grabs his face, tilting him this way and that.

“I’m fine,” he dismisses, trying to pull away.

“Yeah yeah.” She pats his shoulders and hugs him. “Okay, I was only making sure.”

She sits next to him, pushing him slightly to the side and closer to Futaba. Futaba glares, but doesn’t move. 

It’s all so much his chest hurts. But he’s getting used to that feeling, slowly but surely. 

“Oh uh, I mean I’m sure we’re all gonna want to talk to Akira...probably privately? About what we all heard and saw yeah?” Ryuji brings up. “How should we do that?”

“Dibs on first,” Futaba says.

“For fucks sake Futaba.”

“What? It’s only fair, family privilege or whatever.”

“Why don’t we go in order then otherwise?” Ryuji offers. “Of when they appeared. After Futaba, then me, then Ann, so on.”

“I don’t know, I think it’s important that Haru gets to talk earlier than that,” Ann says. “I don’t mind going later, I want Akira to know Haru isn’t a  _ stranger _ , you know?”

“I’d still like to go last,” Goro says quietly. “If that’s possible.”

As they decide this, Makoto and Haru finally appear. 

“Futaba first, I still want to go second,” Ryuji insists. “It’s really important to me that I can talk to him soon.”

“That’s fine. Haru would you want to go after that?” Ann presses. 

Haru takes a seat on the couch, folding her hands together in her lap. It takes her a moment to answer. 

“Yes,” she finally responds, resolutely. 

Nobody speaks up for a second. 

“I’d like to go, if nobody else prefers to go earlier,” Yusuke speaks up. 

“Ann, why don’t you go after that? Then me,” Makoto says. 

“And I’ll go last.” Goro sighs, nodding. “Okay, I can do that.”

Goro takes out his phone, setting it on his lap and beginning the navigation. 

Quick, in and out. Hopefully.

When they appear in Akira’s palace, there’s really nothing. 

Akira’s shadow stands right where they appear, treasure in hand. It’s Joker’s mask. 

“Welcome back.” He hands it over to Goro. “Here it is.”

Goro hadn’t expected it to be hard, but he also hadn’t expected it to be this easy. For a second, he’s worried, tensed up. He still expects a fight, even though they aren’t even in their Metaverse outfits. 

“Oh, okay.” Goro grips it tightly in his hand. “Um?”

“Thanks, for everything.“

Goro looks around at everyone, but nobody seems to have anything more to say. 

He’s sure they’re all anxious to head back as well. There’s a million things he wants to say right now, but he doesn’t want to keep them waiting. And he should say what he has to when they get back, not here.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “And thank you.”

And with that, they all exit Akira’s palace for the last time. Probably the easiest infiltration ever. 

Of course Goro knew it would be after the several mini palaces made things so difficult. And the fact that everything was already on the line at the end there. 

As expected, Akira is sitting up in bed now, awake. 

Goro places the replica of the Joker mask on the work table and doesn’t say much of anything. 

“How do you feel?” Ann speaks up.

“Like shit.” Akira sort of laughs. “I just woke up, but I feel exhausted. Better though. So much better than I’ve felt in a long time.”

Goro feels the worry in his chest loosen, and he nods. There’s some excited chatter over the success, but after a moment Ann mentions that they should leave. 

And he heads downstairs with the rest of the Phantom Thieves to leave Futaba alone with Akira.

They’ll bug Sojiro for some coffee and sit around trying to be normal until it’s their turn, he’s sure. He’ll have to try not to get lost in his own mind as he waits. 

He just needs as long as possible to gather his thoughts, think of what he wants to say. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Act 2! We've come down from the climax of the story, and act 3 will explore the conversations the thieves have with Akira about his palace. A way to show the ways in which they will grow.   
> Thank you to everyone who follows me on this journey, I'm really so happy you all enjoy this fic! <3


	18. Act 3, Scene 1: Futaba, The Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Star. You have worked hard to get to your present position. You have passed beyond where others chose to give up. “A hunting we will go” is a slogan that now is a time for healing and seeking enlightenment. It’s a new day and a new adventure. The sparrow perches atop a skeleton in the weeds. Its eyes face the sky, ever looking up and onward. The bones lay withered in their rusting armor like the remains of your past feelings of hatred and bitterness. Their decay feeds the flowers that serve to decorate and welcome you on your path to new ideas and growth.

Futaba settles on Akira’s bed next to him. It’s never been the most comfortable bed, and that doesn’t change now. But still, it feels like relief. 

He is quick to put his arm around her, and she tucks herself close to his side, wrapping her arms around his waist. She thinks they both need the contact, as awkward as she can sometimes be with it. 

She likes to think they’re close enough by now that she can handle it. 

“It was rough?” he asks gently.

“Yeah.” She squeezes him. “It was. And we all...learned things. About what you think about us, and what you think we think about you. I dunno. There was a lot to take in. Things you feel, in general, you know?”

“Ah. Yeah.” 

There’s so many things she wants to say. Yell at him like she yelled at her own cognition. Put sense back into him. She had so much resolve then, to crush that false cognition in real life just like she’d done then. 

Now, her anger has long since faded. In the end, she’s left just sad that Akira ever thought those things. She knows that’s on her, and her alone. She can’t get mad at him for it. She has no right to, and she can only imagine it would make everything worse. 

She has things she wants to say to him, but she’s afraid it won’t get through to him now that she isn’t so motivated. She’s just scared to lose him, in any way. 

And the things he said worry her more than she can even say. She struggles to find the right words. 

“I appreciate that you look out for me,” she starts softly. “And that you really, truly think of me like a sister. I love you, really. But it just...goes both ways. I know you get tired and stressed out and make mistakes, I know you’re a human and I don’t expect you to be perfect all the time. Just let me help you when you need it, and stop putting such big expectations on yourself.”

“I’ll do my best. You okay?”

“I’m fine.” She moves impossibly closer. “You are my big brother, too. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Don’t worry about me so much,” she adds. “I’m alright. You’re so overbearing.”

“It’s because you always get into trouble,” he argues.

“No I don’t, you’re mixing me up with  _ you _ .”

Akira laughs, moving just so he can ruffle her hair. She groans, pushing his hands away.

After a moment though, he just stops. He doesn’t pin her or try to tickle her or put her in a headlock. He backs up. She can feel the question he wants to ask hanging in the air.

She doesn’t like how little he’s said. Like if he doesn’t talk too much about it, it didn’t happen. She’s stuck between wanting to press him further, and wanting to make her love known and back off. Give him time. 

“Hm?” she prompts.

“What was it like in there?”

“There wasn’t really any fighting,” she says. “In the beginning there was like nothing and Goro said something about how it wasn’t a palace and then it changed. You had a cool outfit, we all had our own rooms, like the palaces, and...I mean it wasn’t so bad. It slowly got better until the end.”

“Yeah, until Goro’s room, right?”

“Goro will tell you more, I’m sure. Yeah, he had his own room, but really the whole time...He had it the worst out of everyone, be kind to him.”

“I...well yeah.” Akira half smiles at her. 

Futaba looks at him and he looks back. 

“Don’t mention it,” he tells her. “I’m working on it already. Talking about it isn’t going to help, I promise.”

She nods, taking his hand to squeeze. 

“I’m here for you,” she offers anyway. “Even if you don’t want to talk. If you just need someone to be around you, you know I’m always just a text away. You can always come over too. I know...I know how that feels.”

“I know,” he says quietly. 

And they lean against each other without a word, and stay like that for a few minutes. As promised, she doesn’t talk. 

After a bit, Akira hums. 

“I guess it’s just weird to me. That I haven’t been in the Metaverse in a while. I kinda missed it. Even though all that happened to me there was I watched a chess match and a fight, then got shot.”

“We can go to Mementos tomorrow if you want,” she says. “We’ll talk about it after. You and Goro are probably all rusty after not using your personas for a while. He did well in the palace, but I don’t know how things will change when you’re in charge again.”

“I’d like that,” he says. “To practice together and such.”

He doesn’t elaborate. He doesn’t even acknowledge that she mentioned him leading them again. He seems like he’s holding back. 

Maybe he’s still reeling from his change of heart, and of all people she can understand that. She shut down entirely. But she also wants to give him the opportunity to talk more, if he wants. 

There was a lot there, maybe there’s still more he wants to say. 

“Akira, don’t tell me you’re still trying to be strong for me.”

He seems surprised she said it. But with how quickly he turns away, her heart pangs. She got it painfully correct. 

“I know,” he says, shaking his head. “You did change my heart. I shouldn’t think about these things anymore, I shouldn’t keep falling into old habits. But I  _ am _ . I don’t know how to stop.”

“What are you thinking right now?”

“That I made all of you go through something so awful, and you’re still trying to help me now. You’re sitting here comforting me after all that, and I can’t stop myself from feeling awful about it.” He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “The change of heart has only made everything more confusing. Now I know it isn’t right, but I don’t know how to  _ make  _ it right again.”

“I don’t think there’s any one way to do that,” she admits. “If there is, I definitely don’t know. What I think is that you just need to count on us a little more. Is there anything I can do for you right now?”

“Another hug wouldn’t hurt.”

So she hugs him. She squeezes him as tight as she can, then pulls back to look at him. 

“I don’t care what you do for me. As far as I’m concerned you could be a couch potato lowlife forever and I’d still love you. It really, actually, doesn’t matter. Promise. I’m sure you can live in Dad’s attic forever if you keep bringing all your friends in as customers.”

“I really appreciate you saying that. I love you, so much. Thank you.”

“Well that’s all I have to say.” She goes to stand. “Should I send Ryuji up?”

“Wait.” He pulls her back down and into a hug. “Stay like this another minute. I need strength.”

She laughs, pressing her face into his shoulder and holding him back just as tightly as before. She’s more than willing to stay as long as he wants her to. 

“For what?”

“I just know I’m going to get scolded.”

“They’ll be nice.”

“But I’ll still feel chastised.”

Futaba gives Akira a good squeeze. She wants to tell him it’ll be fine, that everyone will take care of him. They will be nice, because it was never Akira’s fault. They’re mad at themselves, not at him. But she doesn’t know if he’ll really listen if she says that. 

So she says the next best thing. 

“Okay,” she gives in. “We’ll stay like this, as long as you need. Only because I love you so much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Act 3, START. Anyway when I said Futaba and Akira are siblings I MEANT IT !  
> Most of the conversations will go this way. Akira deserves to be held and told he matters so look forward to it.


	19. Act 3, Scene 2: Ryuji, The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sun. You have worked your way through dark times. The Raven is looked upon as a dark presence. The Sun rises and the light reveals the iridescent colors in its sleek feathers. Look to the light to keep striding forward as your path continues

Futaba taps Ryuji’s shoulder. He doesn’t jump, hardly even turns his head. 

It’s not as if he hadn’t seen her coming down the stairs, but he’d been comforted in the extra few seconds he had to psych himself up. 

He looks back, leg bouncing incessantly under the table. Even waiting his turn going second felt like a lifetime, he can’t imagine how the rest are faring. Especially the ones going later. They’d been talking, quietly, about nothing just to fill the silence. 

Now, everyone goes quiet.

But Ryuji stands, moving so Futaba can take his spot. 

He can hear them immediately go into asking her how things went. 

But Ryuji has to just take a deep breath and start walking up the stairs. It feels like dread, even though Ryuji does really want to patch this up. He’s just nervous Akira will be upset, or something. He just cares a lot. 

But he’s wanted to talk to Akira since he met his cognition in the palace. He’s had time to think of the things he wants to say, what he thinks he needs to make clear. He’s as ready as he could possibly be. 

“Hey Ryu,” Akira greets. 

Ryuji stalls at the top of the stairs for just a second. He wonders if Akira recognized his footsteps, or if Futaba told him the order. 

Then he takes the final steps into the attic to face Akira. 

“Hey.”

“Come sit here.” Akira pats the bed next to him. “Get comfortable.”

Ryuji sits next to him, already feeling pretty awful. Still, he pulls himself together. He’s not about to fall apart here when it’s Akira he needs to be worried about.

He’s just worried about how Akira will take everything.

“So what is it?” Akira prompts. “What did your cognition tell you? Futaba kinda told me about how the rooms worked so I’m ready.”

“You know I care about you more than anyone else, right?” Ryuji bursts. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to play favorites, but  _ fuck  _ Akira! You’re my best friend, and I’m never happier than when we’re together playing video games or having ramen or whatever the hell. When we’re just together. You must know that.”

“You don’t really say it,” Akira murmurs. 

And it’s true. For as much as Ryuji is talking right now, as confused as he was when he met his cognition, it’s true. He doesn’t say it, and he doesn’t give Akira nearly enough affection to substitute for that. It’s his own fault, and getting mad and yelling isn’t going to help. He’s not mad at Akira, just furious with himself. 

“Fuck. Yeah. I’m saying it now, damn.” Ryuji fists his hands in the sheets and tries not to cry. “I’m sorry.”

“I appreciate that.”

“I’d trade everything else, I swear to god.  _ Everything _ . The Phantom Thieves, I’d bust my damn leg all over again, it doesn’t actually matter to me. You’re what matters to me. You’re worth more than anything else!” Ryuji has to swipe at his eyes now. “I know I haven’t been the best for you, and I definitely fucked up in letting you ever think such awful things but...please I’m trying now. I’m really trying to be worthy of what you think of me. What’ll it take for me to make it up to you?”

Akira smiles at him, all sweet and soft. He shrugs.

“This. You’re making it up to me now.”

And Ryuji pulls Akira into his arms, tighter than he ever has before. It’s probably the first time he’s given out such open and direct affection. He’s touchy, but not like this. He’s never been a huge fan of this. 

But he knows touch is Akira’s love language, so he holds on. He gently rubs up and down Akira’s back, trying to soothe him even though he hasn’t shown much emotion. He’s trying to tell him he can. 

“You love me,” Akira teases him, but he’s choking up, and it’s almost a question.

“I love you so much you...wonderful human being,” he grumbles. “Don’t you ever forget it again, okay? I’ll remind you more often too.”

For a second, Akira just rests his chin on Ryuji’s shoulder and doesn’t even hug back. Like he’s waiting for it to end. Ryuji doesn’t let go. 

“You can,” Ryuji says quietly. “Really, I’ve got you no matter what right now.”

When Akira presses his face into Ryuji’s neck and he feels it get wet, he just holds on tighter. His arms come up and around his shoulders, holding on back just as tight. 

If Akira is letting himself be vulnerable, Ryuji doesn’t want to mess it up by opening his mouth. He just lets it happen, because that’s what he promised. He shushes him, pats his back, and lets Akira let it out. 

Ryuji feels so much lighter too. In a way, it feels good to stay all those things, to vocalize something he assumed was known. As Akira cries against him, a certain weight feels like it’s lifted from him too. 

Eventually, Akira pulls back. He doesn’t move entirely away, still looking at him and staying close enough to touch. 

“Can you promise me something?” Akira asks. 

“Almost certainly.”

“Promise you won’t leave me. I mean I won’t stop you if I fuck up, if I do something you can’t forgive. I know this is probably selfish of me to ask even, I’m sorry. You don’t have to promise anything. But I just...want to be sure you’ll stay by my side. I don’t know what I’d do if after everything, you left me.”

Ryuji realizes he probably still doesn’t know Akira that well. As much time as they spend together, and as much as he’s confided in Akira, he still knows so little about him. Honestly...some friend he is. 

He knows Akira’s parents shipped him off here, but he doesn’t know exactly what the relationship is there. He wonders if they’re the reason Akira seems so desperate to keep hold on him. 

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re stuck with me,” Ryuji assures him. “Couldn’t get rid of me if you tried. You’re in too deep, dude.”

“That’s a relief to hear, because I’m not about to let you go either.”

Ryuji is happy that in some amount of words, he’s gotten through to Akira. That he knows he needs to work harder to be a good friend for Akira when he goes through so much. 

More than anything, he’s just happy he can help Akira feel better. Change his cognition even outside stealing his treasure. It’s something he deserves, and he needs to make up for being so blind before. 

It’s important to Ryuji that he can help this way too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading as always! <3


	20. Act 3, Scene 3: Haru, The Hierophant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hierophant. The nighthawk or whip-poor-will is nocturnal and thought to guide the souls of the passing. Nighthawks converge as if in debate. All living things assemble to play their part in the circle of growth and decay. There is an order to the natural world and rules we have to follow.

Haru isn’t sure how she feels. Actually she’s felt fairly angry and confused the past couple of months. Ever since her father died, really, her life has been on a downward spiral. The high of joining the Phantom Thieves, believing she could really save him, and the moment that all disappeared. After that, there was Akechi blackmailing them into joining, Akira coming up with that plan of his, it all coming to a head at the end of Sae’s palace. Then Akechi’s palace, and then Akira’s palace. All through that she’s had to deal with managing a company by herself now, and dealing with the fiance she wants nothing to do with. She can’t help but think maybe it would be a little easier if her father had just lived. 

Of course his murderer is sitting directly in front of her, blinking slowly while he stares into his mug of coffee. Every time one of them comes back downstairs, he has another drink. Inching closer and closer to his turn, as if he’s dreading it. 

And now it’s her turn. And she has no idea what she’s going to tell Akira when she gets up there. She actually genuinely doesn’t know how she should handle any of this. She hasn’t been here as long as everyone else. Akechi joined the Phantom Thieves after her, but even before that he and Akira knew each other. She feels like she has no right to tell him how to feel about her. 

She wonders how incorrect Akira’s cognition really is. 

But still, she excuses herself and walks up to the attic.

Akira is laying down, almost entirely covered up. She can see that his eyes are slightly red when she walks closer to him. 

“Comfortable?” she asks.

“Very. This is kind of exhausting.”

“Tell me about it.” She walks over and nudges him. “Move over.”

He obliges, shifting back so she can lay down next to him. So she does, slipping under the covers with him and facing him. She isn’t sure how comfortable he is with her, so she just stays laying there for a while. 

He seems to be composing himself anyway, taking level breaths and calming down. He was probably crying, so she gives him the time he needs. 

“Hi,” he says eventually.

“Hey.”

“What have you got for me?”

“Eh.” She grabs his hand to steady her own. “Not much. I mean I’m really not even sure what I should say. Just that I already care a lot about you. You’ve done so much for me, and I’m so grateful to have you in my life. And clearly I have to show you more, is all.”

This is really all she’s got. It’s all she could think to say to him, all this time. Express where she stands, and hope he just believes her after everything. 

But clearly she’s done something right, judging by how relieved Akira’s expression shifts. He moves closer to her and leans entirely into her space. He squeezes her hand, even. 

“This is going a lot easier than I expected,” he tells her.

“I was pretty nervous and you seemed to take it well, so yes. Easy,” she admits. “For me it’s just...I don’t know. Time, I think we need time. We  _ are  _ still fairly new to each other, so we just need to take some time to get used to each other. I don’t want to force that, but I don’t want you to think you mean nothing to me either.”

“You’re right.” He leans entirely on her now. “I was just worried, I guess. I thought you might blame me, might hate me even. Or worse, that you didn’t care at all. Just this, being close with you this way, it’s already helping. The rest will come with time.”

She holds him and thinks about how...easy that was. When she’s been so worried about it, thinking she wouldn’t know what to say. And here he is, saying he already feels better. 

And she trusts him, believes that he really is alright. Maybe not right now, necessarily. But that he will be. 

It’s still only a fraction of the things running through her mind, but it is the most important one at the moment. She still has a lot of things she wants to tell him, but he seems tired out. Even now, there’s a certain exhaustion behind his eyes. 

Besides, she’s comfortable. She’s seen how comfortable he is with the others, and she feels pretty special with how close he’s allowing her. 

“I love this, but don’t you want me to get out of your hair so you can—“

“No.” Akira presses closer. “I mean. God, they’re all insanely important to me, I’m sure you know that. But just...it’s complicated. I know it’s going to be really rough, every time. I’d like to stay like this for a while. This is nice.”

Haru can understand that at least. She doesn’t blame him, and he doesn’t even know the half of it. He didn’t see everything in there. 

He pushes a little closer, and she moves the rest of the way to pull him all the way against her chest. He relaxes immediately, the tension falling out of his shoulders as he sighs. 

“Of course.” She plays with his hair absentmindedly. “As long as you need.”

“I just realized I don’t even know when your birthday is,” he says after a moment. “Or like your favorite color. Or what you like to eat. I don’t have any Haru trivia.”

“Well my birthday is December 5th, I think if I had to pick a favorite color it would be pink? I think it looks nice on me, and I like the way it looks in sunrises. I have no idea on my favorite food to be honest with you...I mean I am fond of your curry. Home cooked meals like that are so nice. Is that good trivia? I think you’d win a trivia contest about me anyway.”

“I’ll have to cook for you more then,” he comments. 

“Well?”

“What?”

“You have to tell me about yourself too! It’s not fair if you don’t share too.”

“Alright, alright.” He laughs against her chest. “Okay, well my birthday is December 21st and my favorite color is probably red. I mean I’m sure you could’ve guessed that, it’s kind of my thing. And my favorite food? Sojiro’s curry all the way.”

“Is this helping?” she finds herself asking. 

“Yes.” He leans back to smile at her. “Thank you, Haru. At this rate we can have a joint birthday party.”

She has lots of things she wants to ask him still. More she knows she has to say. But for now she just smiles back, giving him another squeeze. 

“What do you mean, we weren’t already going to have one?” she teases. 

And it makes him laugh. That’s more than enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The closer we get to the end the more I should work on the intermission and sequel and yet.....I'm playing persona 4 golden
> 
> Well enjoy this anyway! Thank you for reading!


	21. Act 3, Scene 4: Yusuke, The Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Moon. Your worries are becoming overwhelming. Your fears are casting a shadow over your thoughts and magnifying your anxieties. The raven is a symbol for the mysteries of the universe. There is wisdom in darkness. The answers are inside you. Look through the murky clouds of your unconscious mind and dig out what is holding you back. Confidence is needed to face the choices you have before you. Don’t be afraid to look into your dark side. Tap into your intuition.

Yusuke is already standing by the time he hears the footsteps on the stairs. He easily accepts the encouraging words shot his way half heartedly, and hardly waits for Haru to get out of the staircase before he’s moving past her to climb them.

He feels impatient, this itchy feeling that lives and breathes in his chest and tries to convince him that if he doesn’t show Akira that his cognition of him is wrong, he’ll ruin everything. Meeting Akira and getting close with everyone, being part of this, it’s changed his life in so many ways. He cares to fix things between them, so that there’s no chance that he could lose any of it. Especially not Akira. 

He’s so anxious about making things worse that he can hardly hide it. 

But he composes himself, he schools his face into something more open rather than the true stress that he feels. He forces his shoulders to relax. Because in the end, this should be about Akira. He can’t make this about him. He needs to be there for Akira this time. 

He takes a deep breath, and takes the last few steps into the attic.

Akira is curled up in the bed now, looking slightly tired. His eyes are red, and it takes him a second to look over at him. 

“We don’t have to talk today,” Yusuke says immediately. “You look absolutely exhausted, why don’t we all sit down to eat and save the rest of the conversations for another day?”

“No.” Akira pats the bed. “I just need to lay down for a bit, come sit. I’m more than awake enough to talk.”

Yusuke mourns the loss of his temporary out, but sits anyway. He tries to gather his thoughts, although everything he planned on saying seems to escape him now. Now that Akira is actually here, and Yusuke has a chance to say something that matters...it’s different. He can’t collect himself properly. 

All he’s thought about since he met his cognition, since they started Akira’s palace...no, since Akira got back after faking his death. Ever since then, he’s had so many things he left unsaid between them. Things he swore to tell him when things were different, when Akira was in a better place to listen. Now, he can’t think of any of those things he wanted to say so badly. 

“Yusuke? What is it?”

And Akira, so patient and understanding. Yusuke failed him, he’s the one who’s hurt, but he’s laying here prodding Yusuke to talk. Giving him the strength to continue, like always. 

Yusuke has never been good at getting to the point, and he still doesn’t know the point he wants to make here. So he just starts talking. 

“I’ve been sleeping in the dorms at school, although not very well. I’ve been buying bento boxes from the convenience store and eating instant noodles for the few meals I do eat, save for the ones I have here or with you. I’ve been very caught up in my artwork recently as you know, since you’ve been my subject.” And now that he’s started, it’s coming much easier. “But of course that’s not all my time. We did Goro’s palace and yours almost back to back obviously, and both of those were fairly exhausting. And even before that, I mean after our plan and everything you weren’t keen on hanging out. That’s to be expected, but still. I haven’t seen much of you in a couple months, Akira.”

“I’m sorry,” Akira says. “I’ve been trying, but it’s been really hard—“

“That’s not my point,” Yusuke interrupts him gently. “My point is your cognition of me, thinking of you as my muse and only that. Associating myself with you for that reason alone. The fact that you really think I’ll just be rid of you when you stop inspiring me. But you fail to notice that I haven’t done a piece on you since before we started Sae’s palace, at least not one that required you as a subject I suppose. That’s right, isn’t it?”

“That would be right, yes. What are you getting at?”

Yusuke lays his hand over Akira’s and turns slightly to get more comfortable. And to see him better. To make sure he’s getting through to him. 

“I’m getting there, be patient.”

Akira looks slightly annoyed with him, and it makes Yusuke smile. Akira has never been a patient person, proven over and over again as he gets distracted while modeling for Yusuke. Any pose Yusuke tries to put him in is usually abandoned in favor of comfort, or something more entertaining. Sometimes he’ll just get up and walk around, or come over to bug Yusuke. He’ll find himself looking up to check Akira’s pose only to see that he’s standing right next to him. 

It’s something that Yusuke used to get annoyed at him for, but looking back he just thinks it’s endearing. And he wonders if his scolding when Akira was just trying to be silly, be himself, contributed to this awful cognition he saw. 

He’ll have to be more careful, in the future. 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is you haven’t been my muse in a while, Akira.” Yusuke pats Akira’s hand. “I’ve been doing a lot of landscapes recently, as well, experimenting with different things. And I’m still here. Why do you think that is?”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh. You’re my friend, alright? And I care about you. I’d go as far as to say love? Although I’ve never been good with processing emotions, so I couldn’t say for certain. But I do know I care deeply for you, and it hurt me to see you think I didn’t. You matter to me, and I want to help you, however I can. Even if it means never drawing you again.”

“Even though I’m the perfect subject or whatever?”

“If it makes you feel better, then yes absolutely. The last thing I want is to lose you, Akira. You are more important to me than my art by a long shot.”

“I...” Akira sits up and pulls him into a hug. “I wouldn’t go so far, but hearing you say that you would makes me feel...worlds better. You really think I’m more important?”

“The most important.”

Akira makes a sound, and Yusuke thinks he might be crying. But Akira just presses close to him. 

Yusuke relaxes, settling his head on his friend’s shoulder and holding on tightly. He thinks sometimes that the only Phantom Thief who is so affectionate is Akira, and it’s simply something they’ve all picked up from him over time. 

He certainly doesn’t mind. 

“I’m glad,” he murmurs. “That takes care of the majority of my worries. You’re quite the case, Akira.”

He doesn’t mention the fact that he’s crying. Just holds him through it. 

“And you love me?”

“I believe I do, yes.” Yusuke laughs softly and rubs his hand slowly up and down Akira’s back. “No matter what. During the good times and especially during the bad ones.”

“Oh I love you.” Akira squeezes him so tight it sort of hurts. 

Yusuke tolerates it, because he knows Akira isn’t just telling him. This is how he shows it. 

The relief Yusuke feels fills him up to bursting, replacing all the doubt and dread he felt before. He feels open now, bared entirely to Akira yes, but it’s not as if he doesn’t trust Akira with himself. He was so scared of losing him, he’s just overjoyed that won’t happen. 

“Also,” Akira says after a pause. “What do you mean you eat convenience bentos and instant noodles? You have to eat healthier than that!”

“I don’t have time to eat healthier. Besides that, that’s what you got from my speech? This is supposed to be about you.”

“Hey, I’m allowed to fuss.” Akira messes with his hair. “It can be about both of us. Come over more often, I’ll make you proper food. I like spending time with you anyway.”

“Yes Leader.”

Akira’s face gets a little red as he pulls back to glare at Yusuke.

“I’m just looking after you.”

“It’s very appreciated.” Yusuke laughs and reaches over to hold Akira’s hand. “As long as you let me look after you from now on too.”

“I...I will, promise.”

And Yusuke smiles, because he truly trusts Akira on that promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I picked up a few shifts at work and just got done redoing my room so I've been pretty busy! But I return and I have this to appease you, please enjoy <3


	22. Act 3, Scene 5: Ann, Temperance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temperance. You have a clear vision of what your goals are. You are able to see through the eyes of others. Patience and understanding have led to a closer understanding of the world and all its different inhabitants. You’ve no need to mask your feelings or your intentions. No need to follow the flock. Your path is ahead of you.

Ann gets up as soon as she sees Yusuke come down the stairs. 

She’s been ready, she’s convinced herself she can be ready. She stalled where she could, but now she has to go up there and do what she can to fix things between her and Akira. She put a burden on him by confiding in him so heavily without any regard for how he’d feel. She told him how upset she was over Shiho leaving, as if it didn’t even matter that he was right there the whole time. 

That isn’t the truth. She just needs to tell him that. That’s easy. 

She marches up, riding out her false confidence all the way until she sees Akira sitting up with his eyes already red. He’s still crying a little. 

All she can do at first is walk over and hug him. She crawls into bed with him and they lean back against the wall and hold each other. She rocks them gently back and forth. 

When his sniffles calm, he shifts them to sit more comfortably. He laughs, a little watery, when she stops him from moving to hold her more. She squeezes around his shoulders even more. 

“So?” he prods.

“Just because I love Shiho doesn’t mean I love you any less,” she starts. “Shiho will always be special to me, but I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”

He stays quiet, but squeezes her back just slightly.

“I know you admire me, I know you love me, I know we’ll always be friends. None of that’s going to change. It’s that simple.”

“That’s funny, Ryuji said something kind of similar,” he comments. 

“Good! It’s too late, you aren’t allowed to get rid of us now. We take care of each other. I know all you want to do is take care of us, but we care about you too. You have to let it go both ways.”

Akira curls up now, and she leans over him so she can keep holding on. But he pulls away.

At this point they’re both just laying down, and their eyes are level. Ann smiles at him and he smiles back.

“It hurt you guys a lot, didn’t it?” he asks, hoarse. “You all seemed so upset, and even now you’re so adamant on telling me this even though you stole my heart. Even though I hurt you.”

“Because we all love you. We all care about you.” Ann takes his hand. “It’s important to me that you hear all of this. And none of it is your fault, everything you felt was because of us. No shitty adult made you feel that way. This is the absolute least we can do for you, you know that.”

“You make it sound so simple,” he says, laughing a little. “It wasn’t all your fault, I mean I could’ve done more--”

“Because it is! It doesn’t matter where the blame falls, all that matters is we can talk and move past it. I’m sure they’re some hard conversations to have, yeah, but then we’ll all feel a lot better. And once it’s over, Sojiro said he’d make us all some curry.” Ann leans over to kiss his cheek. “Simple.”

“I’m still sorry I didn’t just talk to you all about it before it got this bad,” Akira says anyway. “I should’ve done that much.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, but if we’re apologizing...I should say sorry, for confiding in you about Shiho--”

“You really don’t have to apologize for that.”

She shakes his head at him, rolling her eyes a little. Sometimes she wonders how this is their leader, when he can be so blind and oblivious. 

“I wasn’t finished. I’m not sorry for telling you about things that upset me. But I am sorry that I told you all that and let you believe it didn’t matter you were there too. Believe me, it would’ve been so much worse if you weren’t. Having you and Ryuji with me too, that helps more than I can even tell you.”

Akira smiles brightly now, losing all that soft sadness around his edges. He kisses her cheek too. 

“Love you.”

She feels her chest warm up in the best way. Shiho will always hold a special place in her heart, but Akira is one of her best friends. She’ll never leave him behind after all they’ve been through together. She cares so much about him, she wants to watch him grow and become someone he can be proud of. 

She’s already proud of who he is now.

“Love you too,” she says. 

She wants him this open and happy and loving every day. He deserves it. She starts to pull away, satisfied with what she’s said to him. But he grabs onto her wrist and pulls her back, shaking his head. 

“Are you okay?” She sits back down. “Is there something else bothering you?”

“Can I ask you something?” he asks right back. 

“Yeah, anything.”

“If you could go back, and save Shiho, would you?”

“Well, yes.”

“But if it meant you never joined the Phantom Thieves, that you went on with your life without us. Even then, would you?”

She has to think, for a while. It’s clear her answer matters to Akira, but she doesn’t want to just say what she thinks he wants to hear. Least of all because he’ll know if she doesn’t mean it. She wants to give him the truth. 

What happened to Shiho was awful, and she would never wish something so awful on anyone. But what she’s stumbled into here is special. This is something she’d never get another chance at in several lifetimes. 

“No,” she answers, truthfully. “Which is awful, because Shiho went through so much. But at the same time, the hardships we all went through made us different. A good different. And being a Phantom Thief is important to me, helping people, being with you and the others. I don’t think I could give that up to let things go back to normal.”

“Really?”

“Really, yeah. I think how things turned out...I wouldn’t want to change that. As much as I would want to save Shiho the pain, I actually don’t think that’s something she would want anyway.”

“Thank you.” He hugs her again. “That helps more than you know.”

“Good.”

That’s all she wants, anyway. She knows Akira won’t feel great, back to normal immediately, not even with a change of heart. But helping, making things at least better than they were. That’s all she can really ask for anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay AGAIN, especially with such a short chapter, I promise we should be back on schedule now as we get closer to the end!


	23. Act 3, Scene 6: Makoto, The Chariot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chariot. This card shows the integration of equal light and dark parts of oneself without losing one’s childhood imagination and drive for adventure. This carousel horse is pieced together between two broken horses. Together they complete the horse. While there are cracks and chips the horse stands tall. The Chariot asks you to come to terms with your aggressive tendencies, including a survival instinct that can be volatile and aggressive. Foul mood and bad attitudes toward others may be causing inner turmoil. This power can be redirected into a creative force. Control your emotions and impulsiveness. Devise a creative outlet. Seek solace in nature. Spend a day walking trails and see where this time of introspection leads you. Start a new hobby. Learn something new. Don’t sit idle. Occupy your time productively. Steer this power in a useful direction. Pursue the flag of accomplishment.

Makoto doesn’t mind having to wait. She wanted to wait, she put it off for herself because she needed the time. Even after getting so long to think, she truly doesn’t know what she’s going to say. She doesn’t know how to get across to him that she cares about him more than just in the context of the Phantom Thieves. She feels like she doesn’t have the emotional capacity to get her point across without seeming rude or dismissive.

That’s probably the issue that led him to believe she didn’t care for him in the first place. 

Because so far everyone has come back seeming so light, like this weight has left them. They’ve all said the right things, gotten Akira to feel better probably.

She’s worried she’ll say the wrong things all over and ruin what they just fixed. 

Yusuke had come down the stairs, a faint smile on his face. Even Yusuke, who is so dense when it comes to emotions, came back like that. Like everything went well, like he had gotten everything he ever wanted from the conversation. 

When Ann walks down the stairs, the relief is easily read on her face. She nods towards Makoto before taking a quiet seat and wiping invisible sweat from her brow and laughing. 

Makoto takes a deep breath and stands, casting a sideways glance towards their resident detective. Like he’s been over an hour at this point, he’s staring at his half empty mug of coffee and spacing out. When she gets up, he glances at her and meets her eyes. He raises the mug to her and knocks the rest of it back. And he goes back to staring into it, like the last remnants of coffee will give him all the answers. 

“Yeah,” she says. “Keep an eye on Goro for me, he’s starting to worry me.”

Ann is the one who nods, moving from her spot over to take Makoto’s and start talking to him. It probably isn’t going to help, but she’s stalling for time. 

Without any more excuses, Makoto is forced to make her way up the stairs into the attic. Every step shakes her more and more. 

But she’s done much scarier things, so when she comes face to face with Akira she just smiles plainly and sits on the couch. She can keep her composure. It’s only Akira. 

“You seem stressed,” Akira says immediately. 

“Screw off,” she groans. “I thought I was hiding it so well.”

“You can’t hide anything from me,” he teases her.

This. They do this, they tease each other and talk so casually and there isn’t anything Makoto doesn’t tell him. She drops her perfect student council president persona, she’s real with him. So how? How does he think she doesn’t even care for him?

“Alright let’s...I don’t know Akira. I mean your cognition was that I thought of you as strictly our Leader you know?” Makoto smooths her skirt down and sighs. “I guess I’m just a little confused. And I hate to ask this of you, but before I feel comfortable talking this out with you and finding a solution for that, I need to know why. How?”

“Well...I’m not sure. I guess I don’t like to assume things.” Akira looks out his window and shrugs. “I mean I’m sure we’ve all known each other enough to know that I’m all about touch, contact, affection. But where I don’t get that, at least spoken assurances can substitute. I know you don’t work that way, but I don’t read between the lines like that. I didn’t want to assume anything and have it be...wrong. That would hurt more than anything.”

Makoto stands and closes the distance between them. Akira is right, that she’s not much for being so outright with her feelings. Still, she indulges in a hug. It’s the least she can do for him if she’s caused him so much pain. 

“I see,” she hums. “I’ll tell you now it’s safe to assume we’re friends. I express it much more in trust, trusting you with and in certain things. I’ll try to say it more though. I’m still not a fan of affection, but I guess a few hugs would be fine every once in a while.”

She really isn’t expecting for Akira to break down into tears of all things in her arms. And for a moment she doesn’t even know what to do. She’d seen that his eyes were red, and a few of them mentioned that he had cried when they spoke. But with her, of all people?

Slowly, though, she kneels on the edge of the bed and lowers herself to mostly sitting. She guides Akira’s head to rest gently against her chest while she cradles him with all the sweetness she can muster. 

This isn’t really her thing, but she’ll do anything if it means comforting him in such a vulnerable moment. She’ll do what he needs. She can afford to for him. 

“It’s okay to ask,” she adds. “If you aren’t sure. Just ask, and I’ll tell you.”

He fists his hands in her shirt and nods. She pats his back and doesn’t say much of anything else while he calms down. He seems to be thriving off of just her touch, just her being there for him.

She’s just there, present and attentive. And she thinks she can definitely do that, whenever he needs.

“Makoto, be honest,” he warns. “I’m going to ask you something, and I’ll know if you lie to me.”

It’s not as scary of a threat when he’s still kind of crying. And he’s still pressed close to her, and he just closes his eyes contently when she plays with his hair. 

“Go ahead.”

“Do you...love me? Not like, you know. I guess just everyone else so far has said it, and you don’t have to feel pressured to say it too! But I just want to know, if you do. Because I love you. I really care about you, like a lot. I admire you, I think you’re really strong and...I should stop talking. And let you answer the question.”

And does she? She definitely cares about him, more than she does most people. In so many ways meeting him has changed her for the better, for the best, and it would be ridiculous if she wasn’t eternally grateful for that. She looks up to him, as a person and a leader. It’s impossible not to, he thinks she’s strong and yet he’s leagues ahead of her. Even after all the bad he’s experienced, he still finds it in himself to be good. To save others, for no personal gain other than the friends he’s made and the notoriety he can’t even claim credit for. If anything, it’s brought him more bad than good, but he still wants to push on. He still wants to do more, he still moves forward as if there aren’t a million things holding him back. 

He’s Akira. She followed Goro in that palace, but Akira is her leader in the real world too. 

“Yes,” she answers. “I think I do. I could say with a good amount of certainty that I love you too.”

“That’s all I needed to hear. Thank you.”

And the slight relief that makes him relax in her arms is all she wanted. Funnily enough, she can feel her own weight lifted from her shoulders. 

There was never anything to worry about. Not with Akira. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	24. Act 3, Scene 7: Goro, The Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lovers. The marriage of Shiva and Parvati meant the joining of the heavens and the Earth—one completing the other. Trust in one another lends unity and confidence to deal with difficulties. The strength of the pair is stronger than the individual. Swans and peacocks are the beautiful messengers of dreaming about all that you can be with no limits. Look beyond the horizon. Plan long term for a future built for the two, based on the ideas and dreams of the two.

Goro dreads every moment leading up to the second Makoto walks down the stairs and it’s officially his turn. Ann and Yusuke have both made attempts to pull him from his own head, but he can’t find it in himself to listen. He tried, really. He wanted them to be able to help, but they couldn’t. 

But he can do this at least. He can stand up and head upstairs, because doing it for Akira makes anything easy. 

He’s been assured multiple times that Akira doesn’t know anything about Goro’s side of the story until the end, nothing about the way his shadow was the whole time, how Goro took the bait over and over. 

Goro isn’t as grateful as he thinks they assume he would be. 

Still, he pulls himself together. He adjusts his clothes, wrinkled as they are after sleeping in them last night. He pulls his gloves up until his wrist is even covered up. He’s been thinking about the things he wants to say, as scrambled as his mind still is. There’s a lot to get through. He has to make sure there’s nothing remaining that Akira can read before he wants him to. 

And he steps into Akira’s line of sight.

Akira is leaning upright against the wall behind his bed. The covers are half pulled over his legs, although it’s clear he’s trying to stay alert and awake.

He must be tired. His eyes and nose are red, like he’s been crying on and off this whole time. He probably has. Changes of hearts are just like that. 

“Hello Akira,” he greets calmly. “How has it been going?”

“Ah not bad so far.” Akira shifts slightly and almost smiles. “I mean it’s been rough, but I knew it would be. Things are improving, that’s for sure. I feel...better, I think.”

“Of course.” 

Goro takes a seat in the chair by Akira’s bed. It’s pretty uncomfortable and he honestly doesn’t know what Akira even uses it for. But he needs the distance. 

“So?” Akira prompts. “I’ve heard some uh, worrying things about the palace, which I guess is because some stuff went down with you? Can you just...Goro can you just talk to me? I’m trusting you to explain this to me.”

He shouldn’t. Goro messed up, he’s killed him twice. Almost truly killed him for good one of those times. He’s betrayed him, gone behind his back and lied about so many things. Even Akira’s cognition of him acknowledged that. 

Akira trusts him though, way too much.

“I don’t know. To get the passes we all needed to gain access to the treasure room, we all faced your cognitions of us, you know that?”

Akira nods. 

Goro has to look away, letting himself go a little bit so he doesn’t really have to think about it.

Just like giving a report. 

“Along the way, your shadow wouldn’t leave us alone. Well...really, wouldn’t leave me alone. He always tried to get under my skin, and it always worked. That’s on me, and he...I don’t know, Akira. It’s all convoluted, and it didn’t make a lot of sense. You know in the end I lost when it mattered, so.”

“But I’m alive.”

“Because Makoto’s cognition saved you. Doesn’t change the fact that it was my finger that pulled the trigger, again.”

“It’s alright, I’m alive.”

“I didn’t say that for you to comfort me.” Goro shakes off the emotion and tries to calm down. “Because in the end, this is about you. About you thinking I’m some fatal flaw of yours still? I don’t get it Akira, you trust me so deeply and you...god we slept in the same bed just last night. But you’re still worried I’ll kill you? In the palace, I don’t even know how to explain half the things your shadow said to me. And when we fought, your shadow was so angry. When I didn’t even know you felt like that. Akira there’s so much that doesn’t match up, contradictions and these convoluted things that even I can’t make sense of.”

Akira laughs. Like actually, he laughs, truly amused. Goro is taken aback, making himself look back at Akira in shock.

“What?” he demands.

He’s sure Akira has lost it, finally. That’s why the logic doesn’t make sense, because Akira has gone off the deep end. That’s all his palace was, the last remnants of a mind that was coming undone. 

“Not a fatal flaw like you’ll kill me, Goro.” Akira shakes his head. “Fatal flaw like...always putting myself in danger or a bad situation to save you. Because I care too much. In general it’s my fatal flaw, it’s just really bad with you.”

“Ah.” Goro reconsiders everything. “I see.”

“You really thought...Goro.” 

Akira shakes his head and scoots up the bed, closer. He takes Goro’s hands without asking, slipping the gloves off of them to hold them bare. 

He lays their palms flat against each other and then let’s go. 

Goro watches as his hands immediately begin to tremble.

“This worried you, didn’t it?” Akira asks gently. “Come on now, I don’t think like that.”

“I’m sorry,” Goro chokes. “You know? I’m so sorry for everything that happened and I know you know that and you forgive me. But I’m working so hard on feeling the same way about myself, feeling like I deserve it. And it’s so fucked up that...this makes me feel better. That you think of me so highly.”

“Just because it’s ugly doesn’t make it any less real,” Akira tells him, sweet as always. “Emotions aren’t supposed to make sense. They so rarely do.”

“Does that mean we’re both ugly inside?” Goro sighs. 

“At least it’s only inside,” Akira comments, grinning.

Goro laughs, giving up and crawling into the bed with Akira. He just needs to be closer. He’s thought he’d lost him, all over again. He just needs to remind himself he’s alive, he’s okay. 

And Akira doesn’t say a word, he just pulls them both back against the pillows. He knows Goro runs cold, immediately pulling the covers up and over them. They press close, and Akira looks over him with a half question on his face. He doesn’t speak though, just keeps hold of Goro’s hands and looks at him openly. 

“It still doesn’t make sense,” Goro finally says. “Everything. Any of it. It seemed like your shadow knew me so well, but called me Detective most of the time. But the shadow still taunted me, still said awful things that I know you would never say. Unless you do think those things, just never say them. Acting like there was no hope for us. Like you didn’t want our help. And you…”

He can’t even say the rest of it. Whatever the rest of it was. He doesn’t even know how to explain what Joker was like in there, although he hopes Akira just picks up on the thread. He was there in the last room, he saw how it was. 

“And what?”

“It was only ever me,” Goro mutters. “He only wanted my attention, he only taunted me, he hardly spoke with the others. He always had something to say to me, and he demanded my eyes on him several times. I mean you must’ve seen, in the final room. But he was still...I don’t know. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Hm, but it does though. You’re just missing one piece,  _ Detective _ .”

The part of Goro that wants to put the past to rest fights valiantly with how competitive he still feels when it comes to Akira. But at this point he’s gone head to head with two versions of Akira at full power and won, so really it shouldn’t still feel like he has to prove himself. Like he has to win. 

But it does anyway. 

Akira sets off his competitive streak and he knows it. 

“Oh am I, now?”

The sweetness in the air sharpens, and Akira is grinning his Joker grin. 

“Yes, and it’s right in front of your face. I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who has no idea.”

“You’re just saying that. I’m sure if I didn’t see it, nobody else did either. It’s your head, it only makes sense  _ you  _ would know. Just tell me.” Goro’s voice sounds annoyed even to his ears. “Come on, I’m trying to make sense of things.”   
“And I’m telling you, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be more than capable of figuring it out yourself. Have you gotten rusty, Detective? Or maybe this one is just too difficult for you. I mean I can spell it out for you if you really  _ need  _ that.”

Goro bites his tongue. This is on purpose, certainly. There’s no way Akira doesn’t know exactly what he’s doing. Akira, however, seems endlessly pleased with himself. 

Like he’s...just happy Goro is paying attention to him. That his eyes are only on him. 

“Oh,” Goro says. 

And then Akira kisses him. Goro was going to ask, he wasn’t sure, and it takes him a second to catch up. But he quietly celebrates that he was right, that contradictions like that could be explained by this. 

If Akira feels like this, it makes sense. 

Just as he starts to pull away, Goro pulls him back in. After a second, he rolls Akira over to lay on top of him. Akira laughs lightly against his mouth, hands coming up to rest on the back of his neck. Goro feels sort of like he’s on fire, and maybe it’s the competitiveness that makes him bite at Akira’s lip, or maybe it’s just because he wants to know how he’ll react. Either way he grins when Akira huffs, and Goro feels his heart rate pick up under his hand. 

“I take it you feel the same?” Akira asks, slightly out of breath.

“I thought that much would be obvious. I thought you knew, because of your equally contradictive cognition of me.”

“I had no idea, honestly. I thought I was really obvious. Everyone else knew.”

“Listen, you were the one who said we were rivals all the time,” Goro argues. “It wasn’t something I really expected.”

“You bought the whole  _ rival  _ thing, really?” Akira raises an eyebrow, grin overtaking his face. “That was all such bullshit.”

“You don’t think we’re rivals? Really? Like you didn’t just taunt me on purpose to rile me up. You know how to push all my buttons, and then you push every single one at once. Even your stupid shadow did it.”

“Not the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”

Akira starts playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, smiling so sweetly into the kiss he pulls Goro into as if he didn’t purposefully play him like that, the little bastard. He knows exactly what he does, what he was doing. 

“Infuriating,” Goro sighs. 

Akira laughs for real the time, pulling back to throw his head back. 

Goro saw both their palaces. They’re probably obsessed with each other, and it’s probably a little bit insane considering how their relationship has gone so far. But seeing Akira laughing so openly, clearly happy, that sort of makes him want to try to make things better than they were. Well, it really makes him want to make things perfect. The best they can be. 

When Akira kisses him again, it’s sweeter. He pulls Goro down to lay on his chest properly, pressing his hand over Goro’s heartbeat, mirroring his own hand over Akira’s. 

“Can we just forget it?” Goro asks, in the softness between them. “Actually. Can we just start over? It’s all so...messy.”

“Let’s not forget it exactly,” Akira says, so still, so wistful. “But let’s put it behind us, absolutely. I’d much rather focus on the here and now.”

For the first time, maybe ever, Goro feels...happy. There is a creeping dread of Shido. 

But there’s hope there, where there never was before. He actually feels like together they can get rid of Shido and Goro can have a future. 

A future, hopefully with everyone else as well. 

But at the very least, here and now he’s with Akira. They’re borderline cuddling in Akira’s room in the attic above Leblanc. Goro can’t keep his lips off of him. The rest of the Phantom Thieves are downstairs, just waiting for them to return so everyone can have some of Sojiro’s curry. 

Every point of them is touching, legs tangled together in a way Goro doesn’t care to think of where the line between them is. 

“You never really answered me. About why you were like that. Are you just obsessed with me?” Goro asks. 

He knows the answer, but he’s always been selfish. He wants to hear it. 

“Hm? Well that’s because I’m in love with you.”

Goro laughs at how blunt the answer he got was. Akira kisses his cheek with a smile. All he feels is happiness. He doesn’t have to worry. He’s working with them now, not against them. He’s on Akira’s side, for real this time. And he feels invincible this way. 

“I suppose you’re alright…” Goro trails off just to see the fake scorn on Akira’s face. “Stop it, stop. You must know. I’ve always loved you.”

And this, the quiet and the stillness and the way Akira and him just breathe together in complete and total understanding. 

If Goro were allowed, he’d simply do it forever. He’ll do everything he can to ensure this is their forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter, I actually can't even believe it. I'll gush at the end of next chapter, but really this piece means a lot to me and I'm so happy to share it with all of you <3


	25. Act 3, Scene 8: Akira, The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The World. Through determination and hard work you have reached your goals. Like a view from a high window she surveys her accomplishments. The arch appears to be withered and near collapse. See your life and how your decision-making at every twist and turn has brought you to this point. On closer look the arch is not coming down but being built up. Cathedral Ants work tirelessly to build giant intricate structures that last through the onslaught of storms and leave a home for generations. The sparrow on her hand represents that you have a handle on your past problems. Setbacks and disasters are in the past. You have experience and knowledge for the future. This card shows you the power you hold.

Akira wakes up probably far too late. His whole body feels sluggish, still not entirely awake. But when he checks his phone, it’s already almost noon. 

He’s exhausted. But in a way, he feels light too. That normal weight he’d gotten used to feels like it’s been lifted from his shoulders. 

He gets out of bed, and it’s easy to do. It’s been a long time since that was an easy task for him. The floor is a little cold when he puts his feet down, but he puts on slippers and tries to mostly tame his hair. Goro had slept with him last night, but he’s probably long since left by now. 

Akira yawns and heads downstairs, looking up to meet Sojiro’s eyes and ask for the strongest coffee they have and hot curry. But he meets Goro’s eyes instead, behind the counter with Sojiro and looking like he similarly rolled out of bed not too long ago. There’s a light dusting of freckles that run across his cheeks, over his nose. The bags under his eyes are pronounced, and it’s much easier to see how his face is a little too unpronounced in places it normally is. 

Akira has never seen a Goro who doesn’t wear makeup, not even when they went to bed last night. 

“Morning kid,” Sojiro greets. 

Leblanc is empty, and it’s raining outside. And Akechi Goro is standing behind the counter, probably making a mess of things, and Sojiro is letting him. 

Akira sits on one of the stools. 

“Morning. Can I get some coffee? I’m exhausted,” he complains, resting his head on the counter. 

“Yeah, I got it,” Goro says. 

He starts moving, hesitating in some places until Sojiro or Akira points him back in the right direction. But he manages to make something, probably Akira’s favorite if Sojiro taught him. 

“You want a shot of espresso?” Sojiro asks. 

He’s already setting it down straight before Akira nods. It makes him laugh, and he doesn’t miss the smiles that get thrown his way for it. He knocks back the shot of espresso, swallowing it before he can convince himself it’s a bad idea. He chases it with the cup of actually good coffee in front of him. It’s not that great, Goro is definitely still learning, but it’s the best cup of coffee he’s ever had. 

“It’s perfect,” Akira sighs. “Thanks, Goro.”

Sojiro picks up the mug and takes a sip, then pulls a face. 

“Perfect is a strong word, and not one I would use for this.”

“You don’t have to try and make me feel better,” Goro insists. “I know I’m not going to be perfect at it my first try.”

“Alright, but you want to be. And I like it! It has...personality.”

Goro rolls his eyes at him, but Akira just smiles and keeps drinking the mediocre teetering on bad coffee. It’s not long before Sojiro is setting curry in front of him too, urging him to eat and get his strength back up. And then not long after that, Futaba comes through the door with her computer and sits next to him at the counter. 

She doesn’t say much of anything at first, typing away at her laptop. Goro and Sojiro work behind the counter, Sojiro’s quiet instructions are one of the louder sounds in the cafe. Akira eats, and glances towards the TV as if the news bothers to talk about the Phantom Thieves anymore.

Akechi Goro is behind the counter in Leblanc, and all Akira wants to do is close the distance and kiss him all over. After everything that’s happened, he just wants to drag Goro away and stay in bed with him all day. They could play video games, watch a movie, he could teach Goro to make infiltration tools, maybe they could go do something. He doesn’t think Goro will want to play chess, but if he does Akira would. Akira would do anything Goro wanted to right now, because all that matters to him is that they do it together. They’ll both have a lot of time on their hands now, and Akira really doesn’t need to hide so much. 

Goro was the only one who knew Akira, the nobody, and Joker are one and the same. He was the only one who needed to. And now he’s here, in Leblanc, making awful coffee. 

On his side. By his side, again. For once, all that separates them again is the physical barrier of the counter between them. 

“Hey Akira?” 

Futaba’s elbow digs rather painfully into his side, and he casts a sideways glare at her. She just snickers under her breath and stares at him patiently. 

“What?” he finally asks. 

He knows he’s probably just going to regret it, with that twinkle in her eyes. That can only mean trouble. 

“Stop staring at your boyfriend, it’s gross. Dad and I don’t wanna see that.”

Sojiro raises an eyebrow at him. As if he was hiding it, just because he didn’t want to announce it to everyone the previous night. It had been a long day, and he passed out on Goro’s shoulder within five minutes of finishing his food. 

“That kid has been staying overnight, and you failed to mention to me that you were dating?” 

“Stop. Futaba, you’re the worst. It, like, just happened!” Akira defends himself. “Less than 24 hours ago, and I don’t even know if we’re at the point of boyfriends. We’re still figuring things out. Right, Goro?”

“Hm, I don’t know. We’ve probably been dating for much longer without even realizing it,” Goro comments, casually cleaning a mug out. “I wouldn’t quite say we’re still figuring things out, just that we sort of made it official last night, you know? I’m hurt you don’t consider what we were before to be that close. I thought you said everyone already knew.”

“Boss, they’re just trying to get me in trouble.” Akira clasps his hands together in front of him, like he’s begging. “I swear to you, I’m behaving. No trouble! Promise!”

“I don’t know, kid. This is pretty unforgivable.” Sojiro reaches over to pat his shoulder. “If I let you off the hook, what kind of parent would I be?”

“A cool one!”

Finally, the fake serious tone drops into laughter. Akira drops his head against the counter with a groan. He aims a flick in the general direction of Futaba and grins when she yelps and hits him back. 

“Hey, no fighting you two,” Sojiro chastises. 

“He started it!” Futaba immediately throws him under the bus.

“No, she did,” he argues. “She tattled on me!”

“How old are you two, honestly?” Goro asks, shaking his head. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know loverboy?” Futaba teases, sticking her tongue out at him. 

“Sometimes I swear I’m surrounded by a bunch of toddlers.”

Futaba giggles, and kicks Akira’s ankle under the counter. He kicks her back and she frowns at him. 

“If you’re fighting under the counter I’m kicking you both out,” Sojiro warns. 

“You would never! You love us too much,” Futaba insists. 

“I would absolutely. Goro can be my new and only son.”

“You can’t adopt him! Then he and Akira would be related and that’s  _ disgusting _ .” Futaba fake gags. “So therefore you’re stuck with us. You’ll have to wait until Akira and him get married for him to be part of the family.”

“No,” Sojiro dismisses. “Goro’s already part of the family.”

Akira gets up to walk behind the counter, hellbent on washing his own dish. He shovels the last few bites in his mouth as he’s walking, and Sojiro crosses his arms as he watches. 

“Kid, I can wash a few dishes.”

Akira shakes his head firmly, but before he can roll up his sleeves and get to the sink, Goro catches him. He grabs the dishes from him before he even realizes what’s happening, and has already started washing them before Akira can try and take them back. 

“Goro, I have two working hands and I can wash my own dishes. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a child.”

He can feel the disbelieving looks thrown his way, but he’s more focused on how Goro’s cheeks darken and he sort of shrugs. He doesn’t look up for a moment from his task. 

“But I can do it, too. And you’ve had a stressful month. Several months likely. I can do this, at least.”

He says it quietly, but Akira can only assume Sojiro and Futaba heard. But nobody says anything for a while as Goro washes the dishes and hands them off to Sojiro to put away. 

“Besides,” he says, louder, “if I’m part of the family, I have to start pulling my weight. Free labor and all, you know.”

Sojiro just fondly chuckles at that, and Futaba screeches that she’s going to form a union and demand pay. 

It’s true that the last few months have been stressful, that things affected him a lot more than he let anyone see. But Goro is on their side now, Akira’s felt better than he’s felt the entire time he’s been here, and the Phantom Thieves are back, they’re better than they’ve ever been, and they’re turning their sights on a big target. Goro spoke to them about it the previous night, about taking down his father, the man who ruined Goro and Akira’s lives. But at the same time, he also gave Akira a new life. 

He still is more than ready to take him down, after hearing about him from Goro. 

The last few months have been...too much. But here, today, he feels like he can do anything.

Akechi Goro is in Leblanc, and he’s washing Akira’s dishes behind the counter like he’s always belonged like this. Maybe he has. He should’ve. 

Sojiro, as gruff as he usually is, had easily accepted Goro as part of all this. Futaba is talking, showing her face, teasing Goro just like she teases Akira. Goro is squeezing himself into Akira’s life and entangling himself in all the threads and connections Akira keeps. 

And when Akira wraps his arms around his waist and kisses his cheek, Futaba starts complaining and Sojiro says something about no PDA in the cafe. But Goro smiles and turns slightly to kiss him quickly, then apologizes profusely to Sojiro. As if Akira somehow made him do it. And his phone dings, all his friends insisting they want to come over after school to see him. Not to do anything, or talk, or go to the Metaverse. They just want to be together, just want to see him. 

Akira’s been through more than enough for a lifetime, sure. But it’s also brought him here, to this moment. And he wouldn’t trade that for anything, not for the entire world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and following me on the journey, I never expected this piece to get this attention and love. I appreciate everyone who's read through this <3  
> I'll be taking a brief hiatus for this series because I'm working on another long fic atm(check it out if you'd like!) but this isn't the last of this so keep an eye out!

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my Twitter @Elliott70052503  
> Follow my tumblr @elsey8


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